Michael can bring the top down by pressing the “C” button on KITT’s dash. KITT has twice had installed a high-powered ultra-frequency modulated ECTO-1 resonating laser, capable of burning through steel plating. First used in Episode 9, “Trust Doesn’t Rust” and was used to try and destroy KARR by hitting KARR’s only weak spot. Until the laser was calibrated, KITT could not fire it himself and it could only be fired by KITT’s technician Bonnie.
In later years of the television series, the vehicle was upgraded with a “Super Pursuit Mode” that would portray the vehicle going up to three hundred miles per hour. KITT has a front-mounted scanner bar called the Anamorphic Equalizer. The scanner can see in all visual wavelengths, as well as X-ray and infrared. Its infrared Tracking Scope can monitor the position of specific vehicles in the area within 10 miles.
Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless in a world of criminals who operate above the law. When a show like “Knight Rider” ends, one might assume that both KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) and star David Hasselhoff are placed in storage with a tarp over them and left to gather dust. The Hoff, however, went on “Baywatch” and popular German commercials, so what happened to that somewhat condescending 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am? There were actually several of them, and they’re still out there, just not solving crimes. One was recently brought to Jay Leno’s Garage for review (See Below). KARR was brought back in 2009 for “Knight to King’s Pawn” of the new “Knight Rider” series of 2008–2009 for a third time (marking it as one of the very few villains in the original series and the new series to make a return appearance).
David Hasselhoff
The car’s lights and sounds are so vivid that they’ve become synonymous with the show. Some executives at Pontiac were initially hesitant with the idea, but saw a boon in sales as the show increased in popularity. For the original show, the Trans Am was modified with a red cycling light out front and as many buttons on the inside as the Star Trek Enterprise.
Auto World Ho Slot Car 9″ Crossover Track
So states the voiceover intro of NBC’s 80s-era action hit Knight Rider, in which David Hasselhoff played that crusading hero (after starring on The Young and the Restless and before hitting the beach for Baywatch). One of those replicas was recently used in the History channel’s Battle of the 80’s Supercars show. KITT was placed up against the A-Team van and a motorcycle from the series CHiPs in races. KITT can automatically open and close his doors, windows, hood, trunk, and T-tops. He could also lock his doors to prevent unauthorized entry into his driver compartment.
The car’s recognition is so widespread that it’s become a cultural phenomenon. Originally KARR was identical to KITT – all black with a red scan bar. Upon KARR’s return in “K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R.”, his scan bar is now amber/yellow but is otherwise still the same as KITT. KARR later gets a brand new two-tone paint job incorporating a silver lower body into the familiar black finish.
You can contact us via our Customer Service with any questions you may have with the model assembly. The shell is actually a combination of three secret substances referred together as the “Knight Compound”. It was developed by Wilton Knight who entrusted parts of the formula to three separate people. Each individual knows only two pieces of the formula, ensuring that any two of them could make more of the Knight Compound in an emergency situation and that no one person would be able to make it. The shell provides a frame tolerance of 223,000 lb (111.5 tons) and a front and rear axle suspension load of 57,000 lb (28.5 tons). However, if you like your content free, here is a recent Car Wizard YouTube channel episode that is informative and fun to watch as the host goes over some repairs being done to a very good replica of the original K.I.T.T. 2000.
According to Volo Car Museum, one spent a few years of its retirement at Universal Studios, and another owned by a private collector got airtime on Jay Leno’s Garage. In 2020, one of the remaining original three KITTs was sold at auction at Julien’s to a private collector for $192,000. There are no reports that the collector complained about the car not being able to fly, talk, or solve crimes. KITT was based on a variety of vehicles ranging in years from 1982 through 1984.
The sound of KARR’s engine, originally rough and “fierce”, later sounds similar to KITT’s, again affected by a reverb. In KARR’s later appearance, he had a California license plate that read “KARR.” K.A.R.R. (acronym for Knight Automated Roving Robot) was the Prototype of the car of the future.
The 1982 Trans Am came standard with 305 cui V-8, allowing for a top speed of around 124 mph. Taking the update to the next level, Rivian also incorporated a visual feature that mirrors KITT’s recognizable red scanner light, now rendered in Rivian’s own Knight Rider-inspired version. This Knight Rider Scanner effect adds an eye-catching glow, creating an unmistakable light signature. It’s both a fun throwback and a clever way to give Rivian owners a sense of retro flair.
Modifying real cars and turning them into RC versions of themselves is a common practice in some of Hollywood’s massive blockbusters. Knight Rider fans who weren’t keen on the idea that a small person was driving KITT at all times usually believe that the producers of the show simply commissioned an RC Pontiac Firebird and called it a day. Alas, as stunt driver Jack Gill explains, there’s a lot more to KITT’s autopilot than that.