Photo from Jay Ohrberg's Hollywood Cars. Click for more photos of the car on that Web site.
So say our colleagues over at Jalopnik who quote their "validated connection" at an L.A. special effects house. Writing for the blog, Ray Wert nominates the Roush Blackjack Mustang for the role and even has photochopped one in full K.I.T.T. livery. But it wouldn't be the first time K.I.T.T. has appeared as a Mustang. In 1994, in a badly failed attempt to revive the Knight Rider series, Universal Television produced "Knight Rider 2010", in which K.I.T.T. is replaced by a Mad Max-styled Ford Mustang seen above. The car is now in Jay Ohrberg's collection of movie cars.
Reading Jalopnik's readers' comments is pretty funny, like the one from Papercutninja, "The Mustang is as technologically advanced as a Trans Am from the '80s." And this one from Seth, "It's like putting the A-Team in Mercedes Sprinter!" But the best might be from SRT8Six, "Maybe the pilot episode will have Michael driving KITT around just so he can figure out where that annoying rattling sound is coming from."
But we have to give props to one of our own readers, James F., who predicted way back in May, 2006 that the Mustang just might be cast in the movie's lead role. Congrats, Mr. F!
So, Autoblog fans, what say you? Will a Mustang be able to save the ass of Michael Knight's son just as well as a Firebird? Will the next special edition Mustang have oscillating LEDs in the grille like Jalopnik's chop? Is this in fact, as Jalopnik commenter Novaload says, where "Mustang AND Knight Rider jump the shark together!"?
[Source: Jalopnik, photo from Jay Ohrberg's Hollywood Cars]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Menice @ Nov 28th 2007 8:31AM
that is a rip.
and that Ray Ohrberg link has some amazing cars. esp on the krazy kar link.
NotASenator @ Nov 28th 2007 8:32AM
Oh God the lens flares.
0mega @ Nov 28th 2007 8:41AM
I think i just threw up a little... that full grille oscillator... *pukes* yep, there it is... wow >_<
I wouldn't really be opposed to something other than a firebird, but god damn not like that. the newer mustangs look great in their own right, don't get me wrong. but THIS one doesn't. :P it would need to be a completely different front end or it just wouldn't look right as KITT. its not pointy enough.
Chad @ Nov 28th 2007 9:00AM
I agree. It's hard to even see a Mustang in that mess.
ajprice @ Nov 28th 2007 8:41AM
If KITT is a Mustang, make KARR a Challenger and get Peter Cullen back for the voice :) .
Hell, if they can make Bumblebee a Camaro, anything goes!
John R @ Nov 28th 2007 8:49AM
meh...if hollywood can make Jazz a Solstice instead of a Porsche Martini 954, then yes, anything does go.
They tried using Ford products with "Team Knight Rider", too. Guess how well that went. I say the same for this one also.
catgirlshyla @ Nov 28th 2007 8:53AM
Minor Nitpick: Another Mustang was used, abeit technically not K.I.T.T. Ever hear of Team Knight Rider?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Knight_Rider
Domino (D.M.O.-1) a modified Ford Mustang convertible driven by Jenny.
DCragtop @ Nov 28th 2007 9:17AM
I don't care if it's a 'Stang, Aztek or a Vette....as long as the car can jump stuff and drive itself and talk to it's driver and passengers and ponder wheather it's feelings are human or electronic and tint it's own windows and scare dogs away and fight other evil cars and save peoples lives and put down oil slicks and grow wings and spoilers and go from hard top to t-top to convertible in 2 seasons on TV. Seriously, I don't EVEN care. Just leave out the Hoff!
Ben H. @ Nov 28th 2007 10:06AM
Something not many have considered - use the Cadillac Cien as KITT.
Elliott @ Nov 28th 2007 10:10AM
Eh. I kinda dig it.
John P. @ Nov 28th 2007 10:12AM
hey, don't hassle the hoff. Seriously though, the Mustang isn't Guido enough for Knight Rider, it's gotta be something more "sleek"
I say put him back in the original Pontiac.
Bobby @ Nov 28th 2007 10:19AM
Give us a hoff look-a-like with the same outfit and bring back the old trans am!
Whenever you say "Knight Rider" I can't get the image of the Pontiac out of my mind.
God knows how this new show will mess with the heads of all of us who grew up with night rider!
k @ Nov 28th 2007 10:28AM
just what the world needs, another "special" mustang
Jon @ Nov 28th 2007 10:43AM
The reason Knight Rider worked, is that it was original and was not coerced. True, it was poorly implemented, but for the time it 'was' state of the art, unique, and original.
Modern Technology could produce a K.I.T.T. just look at the recent DARPA Challenges. And now that we all know, and love, K.I.T.T. coercing him into any other shape, style, or form, will hurt the original image. Much like how Team Knight Rider Failed.
MK @ Nov 28th 2007 10:52AM
It's as bad as the "Super Pursuit" T/A! I'm in the wrong line of work!
But I would buy a copy of the Batmobile.... and an A-Team van. The Green Hornet's Imperial looks pretty smooth, I'd get that built to order.
cowboy bob @ Nov 28th 2007 11:22AM
Lets do a "Godzilla meets Rodan" remake using the KITT of old, and this apparition from a "Transformers" nightmare. Oh... wait. This whole thing of bringing back this show is a nightmare
Leaf @ Nov 28th 2007 11:59AM
Why use a Mustang when you could use a Corvette?
Iridium @ Nov 28th 2007 1:18PM
KITT as a Corvette wouldn't work. It is kind of hard to make a new Knight Rider KITT since a modern version of the Firbird doesn't exist. The closest thing is the new G8 but that wouldn't look good either.
Maybe they should use a Koenigsegg CCX (I don't want to look up the spelling). That is actually the best car for KITT that I can think of right now.
james f. @ Nov 28th 2007 1:53PM
HOLY CRAP! James F. is me! Thanks for the nod to a forgotten post long ago.
I still stand by the thought that it would be a mustang. I'm almost sure ford will GIVE them v-6 autobox (stuntman's choice) 'tangs for free. As long as they can license (yet another) a special edition tie-in car.
In reference to the 007 BOSS. As much as I love the bond series and even diamonds are forever with it vision of a much more sparse Vegas and the 'party' boss mustang contained within. I'd much rather roll a black "k.i.t.t." edition BOSS(with a k.i.t.t. voiced SYNC and knight industries badging, and understated body enhancements like the bullitt). And id bet I'm not alone.
Yet much has been noted about the car's morphing/transforming ability. So perhaps there's an outside chance the dedicated car would be something pricier in the Nissan G-TR/ Corvette Z-06 form that would morph into much more trashable and thrashable stunt fair when the action requires it. However, if done wrong, this idea could come off as tacky and ultimately boring.
But, in my gut, I feel we will get the first glimpse of the 09 mustang refresh on this Knight Rider 'Resurection' and its initial marketing push. Ford would be crazy not to hand many sets of keys over to NBC.
Mustangs offer too much bang for the buck in the stunt driving sense. And anybody thats seen 'Death Proof' knows that even the very best CGI can't stack up to crashing the real thing into some other real thing.
It's just gotta be the mustang.
j_diesel @ Nov 28th 2007 2:13PM
why not a '95-'99 olds aurora. most people have forgotten this car even existed (except for the auto crowd) and it looks kinda spaceship-like. lots of cheap high milers around too. the auto modifyers could turn it into a 2 door coupe.