12.13.07
Screw it, I don’t have a snappy title for this post
Some shots of the new KITT were released, and I have to admit that I’m a bit conflicted. I have fond memories of Knight Rider from when I was very, very young, and I still remember the sleek profile of the Pontiac Trans-Am that was the series’ signature. Having the new car not be a Pontiac is a bit disappointing, but there aren’t any current Pontiacs that have the really distinctive appearance that would make the car stand out. With this in mind, I can understand to a certain extent the decision to make KITT a Mustang/Shelby GT500 (new version), a car that in general I like. The problem is, though, that a lot of what I like about the style of the GT500 comes from the iconic double-stripe coloring that’s endemic to the Shelby. In solid black, KITT 2008 seems to be a little too nondescript. Of course, if it has the sliding red LED effect on the front, that might make up for it. Maybe.
Which reminds me, I do know someone who did put the LEDs on his car. It was truly awesome and geeky.
Right, I’ll stop pretending I know anything about cars now.
Ismail Saeed said,
12.13.07 at 9:34 am
Get rid of the spoiler on the back, have the hood and the back curve down more, and change those headlights.
And hire Mr. Feeny or I will end you.
Also, I don’t see the oscillating red light. Is there another sample picture that has it on?
Ismail Saeed said,
12.13.07 at 9:35 am
Further: http://www.engadget.com/tag/kitt/ The second post is what we’re talking about, damn it.
(That’s not a repro either, it’s one of the original show cars)
Katyanna said,
12.13.07 at 11:53 am
I’m pretty sure everyone knows my stance on recreations of popular series from my childhood, so I’ll keep this rant to a minimum.
There’s no way they’ll be able to make a new series that is as good as the old. Alternately, as it John stated, there really isn’t a current model of car that is similar to the old K.I.T.T. I might check it out when they air it. Can’t say for sure right now as I just started hearing some inklings about this a couple weeks ago, but given the current success Hollywood has had destroying my childhood, I doubt it will appeal to me, though it will likely garner a new generations attention.
John said,
12.13.07 at 12:13 pm
About the only cars I’d consider ’sexy’ enough to be KITT #2 would be the Crossfire (which isn’t being made anymore) or a Mazda RX-7 or 8. Both would look perfect in that solid black.
Of course, as Kat mentioned, this is completely disregarding the fact that the writing is likely to be absolute garbage. But then again, it could work– I’m not holding my breath after seeing Transformers, but I’ll at least keep an open mind.
Ismail Saeed said,
12.13.07 at 3:22 pm
Re: recreations, this is a film and not a series. But anyway: I don’t think that ALL recreation is definitely bad - witness Battlestar Galactica, which took the idea of the old show and did it as a more modern science fiction drama and apparently did well with it. This isn’t me saying that “remakes are all good” or anything, you should know that would be the last thing I would say… but I think some reimaginings, as long as you keep the original as a separate thing, might also be good and nifty things.
As for KITT, I could swear that I see Trans-Ams and Firebirds and Dodge Stealths around still (all of these cars have been or almost became KITT in some form), and that they all look like they have the kind of sleek body work that would make a good KITT as long as they were painted black and given the custom needed features (like the scanner).
I remember once seeing a Trans-Am and double-taking because it was KITT-like, in fact, even though it was red in color. It was a 2002 or later model when I looked closer (I forget exactly). (It was parked in one of my university’s parking lots.)
If they don’t have Trans-Ams or Firebirds any more, THEN I could see going to another car… but the first “other” car that they should’ve gone to was a Dodge Stealth. Anyone who has seen Knight Rider 2000 knows why - that body design was GREAT… it just needed to be black instead of red. AFTER those three options were exhausted should they look elsewhere.
Using a 1982 (or similar) Trans-Am again would be ONE idea, but that depends on the kind of adaptation we’re talking about here. Since the idea of the Knight Rider story is that the car should look sleeker than and trump anything else on the road, a 1982 Trans-Am would probably be following “the letter” of the Knight Rider canon more than the spirit of it. This isn’t Dukes of Hazzard, where it was explicitly a ‘69 Dodge Charger even when it wasn’t ‘69 anymore. Knight Rider used a 1982 car because it premiered in 1982, ergo…
If this was actual continuation, either of Knight Rider 2000 or retconning Knight Rider 2000, then I could see a legacy body, but a new “Knight Rider” story taking it from the top should use a 2008 car, or, given production time, maybe even a 2009 car, as its basis.
I’m overthinking this now. It’s fun, though.
Ismail Saeed said,
12.13.07 at 3:28 pm
Hah, in all that, I forgot to mention that David Hasselhoff is the one who is trying to bring this to fruition. Seems it’s his pet project (whether he initiated the idea or not I don’t know), though he wasn’t necessarily thinking of being in front of the camera for it (at least, years ago when I first heard about this)… he’s trying to maybe help produce it or whatever, and was currently leaning away from literally just reprising Michael Knight himself. Given movies like this, though, if he ISN’T Michael Knight, he’ll probably cameo in some minor way (a bartender, the protagonist’s father/uncle/whatever, etc. - see Shaft and Superman Returns) or have an in-joke about him (see the Beetle in Transformers sitting next to Bumblebee).
Ismail Saeed said,
12.13.07 at 3:36 pm
Okay, I read the article, and it had more up to date info about the plot. Huh. It’s not KITT. I mean, it is, but it’s the Knight Industries Three Thousand. Supposedly.
I’ll go watch the Knight Rider premiere again soon now I think.