Bat toys: Familiar and new in 'Dark Knight Rises'

Much of the buzz building around Friday's opening of "The Dark Knight Rises" has lasered in on the vehicles in Batman's crime-fighting arsenal.

Certainly, the Caped Crusader has come a long way since he incapacitated villains with his "batarang," a bat-shaped device used like a ninja's throwing star, on the 1966 television series.

• First and foremost, there's the Batmobile, of course. It's a fictional prototype military vehicle called "the Tumbler." At least three different tumblers were used in the Pittsburgh shoot for "The Dark Knight Rises." According to the website for Top Gear, the popular British automobile series, the Tumbler "has jumped a distance of 60 feet, can do zero to 60 mph in 5 seconds and tops out at 105 mph." The Batmobile has no front axles, according to Top Gear. The front wheels are operated from the side.

• As Batman, star Christian Bale rides the "Batpod," a motorcycle that was destroyed in the previous film, "The Dark Knight," but reappears in this film. It features three guns on each side: "a blast cannon, a grappling gun and a machine gun," according to Top Gear.

• Pittsburghers were among the first to get a look at the "Bat" or "Batwing," a freakish machine that "flew" through the streets at William Penn Place and Sixth Avenue during one scene. According to Top Gear, the Batwing "is made from lightweight carbon fiber and features working guns and cannons that fire pyrotechnics. The lights are radio-controlled to change angle mid-air." A few bootleg videos of the Batwing have popped up on YouTube.