Why Is The Bat Signal On The GM Renaissance Center?

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If you’ve been through downtown over the past few days you may have noticed a bat symbol shining on the side of the General Motors world headquarters, known as the RenCen.

Why is there a constant beacon calling for the caped crusader, alternating with the familiar Chevy bowtie logo?

It’s marketing, of course.

Inside the North American International Auto Show, you’re going to find a life-size LEGO Batmobile to help promote the movie hitting theaters February 10, “The LEGO Batman Movie.”

In the movie, Batman – who is known for working alone – must learn to cooperate and connect with others to save Gotham City from The Joker.

The LEGO creation is inspired by the speeder in the film, and boasts some pretty crazy statistics for a LEGO creation. Per Chevrolet:

Courtesy Photo.
  • It’s 83 inches (6.92 feet) high, 204 inches (17 feet) long and 111 inches (9.25 feet) wide.
  • Total weight is 1,695.5 pounds. Each tire is just over 100 pounds.
  • The interior frame is made from more than 86 feet of square tube aluminum and weighs 282.5 pounds.
  • Total number of LEGO bricks used to build the Batmobile: 344,187
  • Total number of LEGO colors used: 17
  • The LEGO Batmobile took 222 hours to design and 1,833 hours to build.
  • The LEGO Batmobile was designed and assembled in the LEGO Model Shop in Enfield, Connecticut, by LEGO Master Builders.

The LEGO Batmobile from Chevrolet will also appear in the next variation of Chevrolet’s “Real People, Not Actors” campaign. In the new spot, real LEGO Minifigure figurines discuss what kind of person would drive the all-new LEGO Batmobile.

Here are some more photos for you to enjoy from the unveiling at NAIAS:

Unveiling photos shot by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet.

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