You remember the shot. It’s hard to forget. A garish, neon-pink-purple blur screams through the rain-slicked streets of Midway City while Batman clings to the roof like a high-tech gargoyle. For many, that car—the Joker car in Suicide Squad—was the ultimate symbol of David Ayer’s 2016 divisive vision. It was loud. It was obnoxious. Honestly, it was a total departure from the gritty, tank-like vehicles we’d grown used to in the Nolan era.
But here’s the thing: most people think it’s a Lamborghini. Or maybe a heavily modified Ferrari.
Actually, it’s a Vaydor. And the story of how a kit car from Florida ended up being the chariot for Jared Leto’s "Crown Prince of Crime" is way more interesting than the movie’s actual plot.
The Vaydor G35: A Frankenstein Monster in Neon Chrome
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way because it’s kinda wild. The Joker car in Suicide Squad isn't a million-dollar supercar. It’s a fiberglass body kit draped over the bones of an Infiniti G35 Coupe.
Matt McEntegart, the founder of Vaydor Bodykits, basically built this thing in his garage. He wanted a supercar look without the "I own a private island" price tag. When the production team for Suicide Squad reached out, they weren't looking for something classic. They wanted something that felt like a "modern gangster's fever dream."
The Vaydor fit perfectly. It has these aggressive, angular lines that look like they were drawn by someone who had too much caffeine and a grudge against aerodynamics. Underneath, it’s still an Infiniti. It has a V6 engine. It has power windows. It’s surprisingly practical, which is the last word you’d ever use to describe Leto’s Joker.
The color is its own beast. It’s officially a custom metallic purple/pink wrap that reacts intensely to the fluorescent lights used during the night shoots in Toronto. In some scenes, it looks deep violet; in others, it’s almost hot pink. It’s jarring. It’s meant to be.
Why the Joker Car Matters to the 2016 Aesthetic
David Ayer’s Suicide Squad was a massive departure from the "grounded" reality of the early DCEU. While Zack Snyder was busy with de-saturated greys and heavy shadows, Ayer wanted "toxic neon."
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The Joker car in Suicide Squad acted as a rolling billboard for this new vibe.
Think about the previous iterations. Jack Nicholson had a modified 1950s Dodge 3700 GT that felt like a mobster's cruiser. Heath Ledger’s Joker didn’t even have a "car"—he hijacked school buses and semi-trucks because he was an agent of chaos who didn't care about branding.
But Leto’s Joker? He’s a brand. He’s a cartel boss. He’s obsessed with the "aesthetic" of crime. Having a custom-built, one-of-a-kind supercar (even if it’s a kit) screams ego. It says, "Look at me while I ruin your life."
The car was actually built by a shop called Fox Motorsports in Michigan. They had to reinforce the roof because, as you probably guessed, Ben Affleck’s stunt double was going to be standing on it. You can't just put a 200-pound man in a Batsuit on a fiberglass shell and hope for the best.
The Chase Scene: Batman vs. The Vaydor
The sequence where the Joker car in Suicide Squad is chased by the Batmobile is arguably one of the most memorable moments in the film. It’s a literal clash of ideologies. You have the Batmobile—a heavy, matte-black, functional weapon—chasing a bright, flashy, essentially ornamental sports car.
It tells you everything you need to know about their rivalry.
Interestingly, the car wasn't just a prop for the exterior shots. Because the G35 donor car has a functional interior, the actors could actually sit in it and feel the "claustrophobia" of the cabin. Leto apparently stayed in character while in the car, which honestly sounds like a nightmare for the grip crew.
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But there’s a nuance here that gets lost. That car ends up in the river. It’s a disposable toy for the Joker. He’s willing to sink a custom supercar just to escape (and leave Harley behind, which is a whole other psychological mess). It reinforces the idea that to this Joker, everything—people and machines alike—is a prop.
Misconceptions and the "Infiniti" Secret
I’ve seen dozens of forum posts claiming this was a Lykan HyperSport or a modified Aventador. It’s a testament to McEntegart’s design that people thought it was a multimillion-dollar vehicle.
If you’re a car nerd, the giveaway is the stance. The wheelbase of the G35 is 112 inches. It’s long for a sports car. When you put that wide-body kit on it, it looks massive.
- The Donor: 2003-2007 Infiniti G35 Coupe.
- The Kit: Vaydor.
- The Mod: Custom LEDs in the wheel wells (the "underglow" trend that refused to die).
- The Fate: Totaled in the movie, but several replicas exist in private collections today.
Why This Car Still Ranks as an Icon (Despite the Mixed Reviews)
Love or hate the movie, the Joker car in Suicide Squad did its job. It became an instant icon. Within weeks of the first trailer dropping, "Vaydor kit car" searches spiked. People wanted to build their own.
It tapped into a specific subculture of car tuning that focuses on visual impact over raw performance. It doesn't matter if it’s a V6 under the hood if it looks like a spaceship from a comic book.
Also, it represented a shift in how we see comic book villains. They aren't just hiding in warehouses anymore. They are out in the open, flaunting their wealth in neon-lit luxury. It’s "Narco-core" mixed with Gotham City.
How to Get the "Joker Look" (Legally and Safely)
If you’re looking to replicate the vibe of the Joker car in Suicide Squad, you actually can. The Vaydor kits are still out there, though they’ve changed hands in terms of manufacturing.
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But before you go buying a 20-year-old Infiniti G35 and a saw, there are a few things you should know.
- It’s a massive project. This isn't a "bolt-on" kit. You have to chop the roof off the Infiniti. You have to weld a custom roll cage. It’s a structural overhaul.
- The Paint is the Hard Part. That specific "Joker Purple" is usually a three-stage paint or a high-end vinyl wrap. Getting that depth of color requires serious skill.
- Visibility sucks. The Vaydor has tiny windows and huge blind spots. Driving it in the rain (like the Joker does) is actually terrifying in real life.
The car currently sits in various museums and private collections, but its legacy is mostly digital. It lives on in Grand Theft Auto V mods and Instagram reels.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Builders
If you’re obsessed with the Joker car in Suicide Squad, don’t just look at the shiny exterior. Understanding the "bones" of the car helps you appreciate the movie's production design.
- Research the Vaydor G35: If you’re a builder, look into the structural requirements. You need an Infiniti G35 (2003-2007) and about 200-300 hours of labor.
- Watch the Behind-the-Scenes: The stunt driving in the Toronto chase is incredible. Most of it was practical, not CGI. They actually drove that Vaydor through those turns at high speed.
- Appreciate the Sound: The exhaust note in the film was slightly modified in post-production to sound more "exotic," but the real Vaydor has a distinct V6 growl that is surprisingly aggressive if you use the right straight-pipe setup.
The Joker car remains a polarizing piece of cinema history. It’s loud, it’s purple, and it’s unapologetically over the top—just like the man behind the wheel. Whether it’s a "real" supercar or a cleverly disguised Infiniti doesn't really matter. In the world of Gotham, image is everything, and that car had plenty of it.
To truly understand the impact of the vehicle, one should look at the resurgence of custom kit cars in films following 2016. The Joker car in Suicide Squad proved that you don't need a Ferrari budget to create a cinematic icon; you just need a bold silhouette and enough neon to be seen from space.
For those looking to track down the original screen-used cars, be aware that there were multiple versions: "hero" cars for close-ups and "stunt" cars for the heavy lifting. Most of the stunt cars were stripped or damaged, but the hero car occasionally pops up at auto shows and fan conventions. It remains a testament to what happens when DIY car culture meets a Hollywood blockbuster budget.
Follow the lineage of the Vaydor designer, Matt McEntegart, to see how his later designs have evolved, but none have quite captured the cultural zeitgeist like the purple monster from Midway City.