Knight Rider's KITT is back!
2007-12-21 09:13
Meet the new KITT! Yes, that's right and a Shelby GT500KR is the new KITT and, just like its infamous 1980s predecessor, it talks.
Knight Rider, the popular American television series which ran from 1982 to 1986 starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a kind of modern day "knight".
His partner was an advanced Pontiac Trans Am with artificial intelligence. Not only could it talk, it could morph into an attack vehicle that accelerated to 480km/h, used a Turbo Boost to jump over obstacles and even drive itself.
In the new version, Hasselhoff returns, but the lead character is now Justin Bruening who plays Knight's long-lost son Michael Tracer.
Replacing the Pontiac is the KR which in real-life is about to launch a 40th anniversary limited edition with an engine output estimated at 400kW - from a 4.6-litre V8 unit.
To portray the new KITT, Ford donated six production Mustangs to the film studio. Since the GT500KR isn't yet available, the cars were actually Mustang GTs equipped with automatic transmissions. (Automatics are preferred for film work.)
The initial mechanical and bodywork on the prototype KITT was done by Galpin Auto Sports - from MTV's Pimp My Ride.
The cars were "pimped up" with the necessary body pieces as well as reinforcements from the Ford Racing catalog including a lowered suspension and a Whipple supercharger.