click on either image for more new pics of KITT
We've found yet more high-res pics of the Shelby GT500KR that will play KITT in the TV revival of Knight Rider. This new batch finally gives us enough angles of both the KITT Hero and KITT Attack cars, including KITT's interior, to make a judgment on how successful the transformation is.
One thing we always liked about the original KITT was how simple it was: just a jet black exterior with black wheels. The GT500KR KITT Hero car conforms to this ethos, with an exterior that doesn't distinguish itself very much from a standards GT500KR save for the black paint accented by matte black racing stripes and the swooping red light bars in the hood nostrels. But why the chrome wheels? The blingy rims contrast too much with the stealth exterior treatment. What if KITT were trying to penetrate a nuclear waste facility and a search light bounced off his 20-inchers? They're not very practical for corporation-based vigilante crime fighting, if you ask us.
click any image to enlarge
The interior of the Shelby GT500KR has been heavily modified by Knight Industries, but it still seats four in a pinch. There's clearly a Heads Up Display to project vital info on the windshield, and a keyboard swings out from beneath the glove box for searching Google on the go. We're so happy to see the open-top steering wheel, though it's not quite as open as the original since the bottom remains.
Then there's the KITT Attack version of the GT500KR (shown above). The new side profile sketch shows just how far the designers went in turning KITT into an actual weapon, though we imagine the only way this prop could actually hurt you is with the sharp edge of one its many spoilers. We counted 30 of them with a margin of error +/-25, but the visual effect is that when KITT transforms into Attack mode, his warranty is instantly voided from being affixed with the entire contents of a J.C. Whitney catalogue. The KITT Attack car's only saving grace is that its wheels are, in fact, black to match the rest of the car.
[Source: Ford]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
John R @ Dec 14th 2007 1:04PM
this attempt at entertainment is already spoiled.
one important element concerning the knight rider ethos you didn't expound upon: f u t u r i s t i c. which the mustang is not. if that rendering of the interior is true, it is completely at odds with the exterior.
pass
Ron Martin @ Dec 14th 2007 1:20PM
WOW!
Greetings nerd.
As far as I am concerned just seeing the GT500KR in action will be WELL worth seeing the show!
John R @ Dec 14th 2007 2:14PM
thanks its good to be here! :)
Carlos @ Dec 14th 2007 4:46PM
agreed - the normal trim KITT looks like any other black mustang on the road - and the combat version looks like any other riced out Mustang in SoCal
not special enough for such an iconic vehicle as KITT - flip through the pages of any Mustang magazine and you can find more appropriate stealth like mustangs than this
SenSpeed @ Dec 14th 2007 3:43PM
too fast, too ford?
Mx @ Dec 15th 2007 1:12AM
I still prefer the idea of the CCX as the new KITT. The Mustang has way too much personality/history of its own and distracts from KITT as a character of the show. Whereas the CCX like the original Trans Am has a minimalist, smooth design, that fades into the background of KITT's character, a platform capable of executing the demands of its kick-ass software. Quickly, efficiently, and stealthily, nothing more.
That's what the real KITT is all about.
AlfaMike @ Dec 15th 2007 7:58PM
The Mustang will do fine as Kitt!
They did a nice job with the black, making it just understated enough with the matte stripes.
I think something you detractors are forgetting is that the original Kitt was a production sports coupe that people could buy, it added to the charm of the show. Same with this new one, a black Mustang with a V8 is a production car that anyone can own if they so choose, something you can and will see on the road. An everyday muscle car.
Since there are currently no GM or Chrysler equivalents (as of filming), the Mustang is the best choice for this role, imho.
Last bit: "corporation-based vigilante crime fighting", lol, nice one.
John R @ Dec 15th 2007 11:03PM
A 350Z would be a better choice.
SenSpeed @ Dec 14th 2007 1:22PM
KITT is sleak...Mustangs are not. KITT is smooth, Mustangs are rough. KITT futuristic, Mustangs are retro...wtf is wrong with the producers? Come on Hoff, do something about this trasvesty!!!!
Mike @ Dec 18th 2007 4:49AM
Haha, you say that as if a 1982 Trans Am is all of the above. Get a clue, both are American pony cars and are about as far from "sleek" and "smooth" as you can get.
SenSpeed @ Dec 14th 2007 5:21PM
umm yes, it was in 1982..duh?
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Dec 14th 2007 1:29PM
NBC doesn't care about what you thought KITT meant to you in the past.
They are trying to capture a new, younger audience. Young people like crome rims, body kits and think the Mustang is badass.
Thats what they're trying to get at.
500 @ Dec 14th 2007 4:00PM
Watch KITT try to turbo boost over obstacles without bending those 20" rims.
Dave @ Dec 14th 2007 1:32PM
HERESY!
TriShield @ Dec 14th 2007 1:34PM
The Firebird that played KITT was a futuristic looking vehicle in it's time and still looks the part today. The stock GT500KR does not.
The new car would fit the role better if the studio ditched the stripe, had an entirely black exterior with tinted glass and indicators, black wheels and no badging whatsoever.
The Mustang has an unmistakable shape, it's not like nobody would know it's still a Mustang even with no badges on it so Ford would have still gotten their exposure they paid for IMO.
BigTeebo @ Dec 14th 2007 1:47PM
No, the original KITT, today, looks outdated. It's something teenagers drive.
What gets me is the rather scant, stock-like interior. Where's all the buttons, lights, switches & stuff? Sure, replace the CRTs with LCD panels, etc, but I expect a lot more dashboard controls. It's supposed to be high tech after all.
TriShield @ Dec 14th 2007 1:58PM
Teenagers drive aged little riceboxes where I live. It would be cooler if they drove blacked out Firebirds in nice condition.
mk @ Dec 14th 2007 2:00PM
I just wonder how they plan to both morph between the modes (I assume remote mode is just a normal car that happens not to need a driver, but is remote controlled.)
The renderings have all sorts of bizarre lights and different wheels, and all that stuff. At least the real attack mode model is somewhat closer to the standard version. Crazy effects to morph and add more lights, and change paint colors/wheels, and all sorts of things on the fly is just a bad gimmick. It was a bad gimmick on "Viper", too. The show was watchable, but barely.
More realistic would have been better. the original KITT looked more feasible. and even super-pursuit mode looked like a car that really transformed a bit, even if it was more than a bit ridiculous.
riggs @ Dec 14th 2007 2:06PM
it looks ALOT better now than when it was first shown, i like how it looks in the side angles as well.
Aki @ Dec 14th 2007 2:10PM
How do the rims change from silver to black (normal vs. pursuit mode)??