We here at Jalopnik aren't content to bring you just warmed-over press photos and spy photos. No, we also want to give you warmed-over video from the press reveal! Yup, we're continuing our role as the first to break news on the Knight Rider-Ford story with this video of the KITT from the new Knight Rider — revealed live today in sunny SoCal. He's a Mustang GT500KR and wait, there's not one, not two, nope, there's three of them. What? Seriously. Here's the scoop from Ford and NBC:
"The three cars to be employed in the series include the KITT Hero — a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR that is playing the part of the everyday Hero car with 540 horsepower; the KITT Attack — a super high-speed version of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR Hero car that transforms into Attack mode with the help of air-ride technology and specialized body parts — and a KITT Remote, which is a driverless Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR version of the Hero vehicle."Full press release after the jump. UPDATE: Interior sketch below including what looks like a giant flux capacitor on the rear seat! Wow, talk about crossing sci-fi mythos, eh? Also, we've got a few live reveal shots from Gawker video goddess Molly to go along with her video above!
UPDATED 'KNIGHT RIDER' REVS UP TO RETURN TO NBC FOR SPECIAL TWO-HOUR MOVIE EVENT ON FEBRUARY 17 AS NEW KITT CAR IS REVEALED "Knight Rider" Cast Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison Participate at the Unveiling Event Showcasing the Customized KITT Ford Mustang to Be Featured in Movie Dave Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C.") and Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The Bourne Identity") to Serve as Executive Producers; David Hasselhoff, the Star of the Original "Knight Rider" Series, Appears as a Special Guest Star in His Original Role as Michael Knight NBC Also Forms Partnership with Ford Motor Company That Provides for Unique Content Opportunity BURBANK - December 12, 2007 - As "Knight Rider" — NBC's iconic 1980s television classic that became a runaway success, comes roaring back to life on the network with an updated sequel that will air as a two-hour movie event on Sunday, February 17 (9-11 p.m. ET) — NBC unveiled the new customized KITT Ford Mustang to be featured in the series in a press event held at NBC's Burbank Studios today. The movie stars Justin Bruening ("Cold Case," "All My Children"), Deanna Russo ("NCIS," "The Young and the Restless"), Sydney Tamiia Poitier ("Veronica Mars," "Grindhouse") and Bruce Davison ("Breach," "Close to Home"). In addition, David Hasselhoff (NBC's "America's Got Talent") — who starred in the popular lead role as Michael Knight for four seasons during the original series — returns as the same character in a special guest-star appearance. Will Arnett (NBC's "30 Rock," "Blades of Glory") will provide the voice of KITT. Dave Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C.") and Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The Bourne Identity") serve as executive producers. NBC also has an arrangement with Ford Motor Company that provides for a unique content opportunity that makes the Ford Mustang one of the stars of the movie. The three cars to be employed in the series include the KITT Hero — a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR that is playing the part of the everyday Hero car with 540 horsepower; the KITT Attack — a super high-speed version of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR Hero car that transforms into Attack mode with the help of air-ride technology and specialized body parts — and a KITT Remote, which is a driverless Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR version of the Hero vehicle.As the original story resumes, the new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) is absolutely the coolest car ever created: its supercomputer capable of hacking almost any system; its weapons systems efficient; and its body — thanks to its creator's work and nanotechnology — is capable of actually shifting shape and color. Plus, its artificial intelligence makes it the ideal crime-fighting partner: logical, precise and possessing infinite knowledge. It is the ultimate car — and someone will be willing to do anything to obtain it.
Sarah Graiman is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles' (Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from KITT warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first KITT 25 years ago — and that her father is in serious danger.
Sarah and KITT track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn't seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who's behind the attempt to procure KITT and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long-standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search.
David Andron is supervising producer and writer. Steve Shill ("Dexter," "The Tudors"), also a co-executive producer, directs the two-hour movie from Universal Media Studios and Dutch Oven Productions.














Comments
Nope. She didn't blow my mind.
So "attack" KITT is .. KITT with a goofy wing? Man, I wanted rocket launchers, rocket boosters.. something.
Can it shapeshift into another car already.
Yeeeesh.
Mmmmpphh. Bleck. Grummple. Snarf. Hmmm?
Sorry, this put me to sleep.
Boring, already.
A retro car for a retro tv show. Does nobody have any imagination left anymore?
I think this might sink Ford. As if they hadn't lost enough credibility, now they attach one of their strongest sellers to a cargasmic nerdfest SEQUEL show. FOMOCO is FUBAR.
How long till you can buy the "Kitt" edition Mustang at the dealership? Honestly, its no worse than all the other special editions.
nice mustangs, save for the last one. all poor impersonations of KITT. bleh
what no side to side LED?
Thank god the gaudy bodywork is only on the pursuit mode... you guys need to be careful when you scare us with stuff like that.
That video needed more girls from the Ford Focus viral video "Oh my god the doors totally open by themselves"
@RalphieDC: I second that emotion. Where's the "woo woo... woo woo..." red light?
Listen to the guy at the beginning:
'It really is stock... It's the original car, as it will be available...' (my italics)
The Mustang KITT Edition, coming to a Ford dealer near you.
Wow, gee, sign me up. What's the wait time? I know it will be Ford's next 'Limited Edition'.
Because the Mustang wasn't white trash enough?
@RalphieDC: Totally. Ironically, the red strobe would have totally and completely saved this otherwise totally and completely underwhelming PR event.
Wait a minute... You don't think they're dumb enough to leave off the red strobe altogether, do you? I had been assuming that the KR folks were simply saving that for the show itself.
Now I'm not so sure.
Talk about lack luster failure....one season. Epic Fail!
Was that music Black Sabbath's NIB playing for the first 2 seconds?
Dammit, Will Arnett's doing the voice! How can I not watch? Especially if he does Cleavland?
I can so se KITT singin "It's not easy being brown!"
I'm going to have to go back to my old avatar just for this news!
Yes, that was NIB. It's rare to see someone get so excited over a kit, I mean KITT car. Unless, of course, it's a Cobra built from a . . . wait for it . . . Mustang.
Phoned in.
What's next, they plan of having McGuyver using NASA equipment to disarm a mousetrap?
My memory of all things "wicked" from my childhood is in total jeopardy of turning into something I might *meh* about.
I'm done.
Thats not a flux capacitor, its a giant friggin cell phone!
O.K. boys and girls, does anybody know what rhymes with KITT?
I have to totally dissagree with just about everybody. I Think the car was definatly B.A.M.F. and I would love to have one. I'm not liking the super ricer version, but other than that, I'm definatly going to watch it fo sho!
@POLAR:
Bit?
Tit?
Slit?
Clit?
(OK, i'll stop now...)
@FLB: I admire your self control, it shows true... grit? No that's not it either.
I read somewhere that in pursuit mode 3 additional non-functioning scoops pop-open!
This show is gonna be a cross between Two Girls with One Cup and a Ford Focus Webisode.
I smell variant!!!
Why does K.i.t.t have a keyboard? Remember the original was VOICE recognition!! Maybe the New Micheal night will get a Bluetooth head set too.. Remember the batmobile and that one magic button that did everything? or mission impossible with that box and the flashing light that did everything? simplicity at its finest...
I read somewhere that in pursuit mode 3 additional non-functioning scoops pop-open!
This show is gonna be a cross between Two Girls with One Cup and a Ford Focus Webisode.
Hey! Why are some of the posts disappearing???
Oh.
Oh no...
(Pleeeeeeeeease Ford don't try to push Sync on us with show...)
i hope this show is more successful than another muscle car related show... VIPER [en.wikipedia.org])
It needs more foglights.
@vwminispeedster:
Personal opinion?? Knight Rider will not last as long as Viper did.....
I use to watch Knight Rider when I was growing up and I enjoyed the show. I even suffered through Knight Rider 2000! (a '57 Chevy ??)
But I have no interest in this show AT ALL.
@crazygutgut: Yeah, but there were still a silly amount of buttons in the car.
Where are all the fucking buttons?!
@skaz: That was always my main disappointment with the original show. C'mon, give me a chain gun or rocket pod or something.
Is it possible for a show to jump the shark before it has even begun shooting?
@DeadWriter: That's a question for Defamer.
But yes, evidently.
@FLB:
ok! here's the scene: A girl is sitting at a light in her Focus and says
"play artist: (insert record label-sponsored placement here)".
As the music starts playing, KITT rolls up next to her at the light and you can hear Michael having a conversation with KITT. The girl leans towards Michael and says
"HEY?! How'd you get yours to, like, talk back to you?!"
and Michael replies
"its kind of hard to explain, its um, a special model"
[roll FORD: BOLD MOVES slide]
GOLD I TELL YA, GOLD!
@MarkVictorArnold: ^^^ thats meant to be read in an overly enthusiastic tv writer making a pitch voice
if they had done donuts with the remote one, i would have been slightly impressed... part of me hopes a rain delay pushes the 50th Daytona 500 back a bit so it can crush this in the ratings...
@crazygutgut: it's really weird that it has buttong instead of voice recognition... would be a great way to advertise SYNC.
They should have went with the 2008 Superduty, at least it shoots flames from the exhaust sometimes. This car doesn't do shit.
That girl has to be the worst spokesperson I've ever seen. Where's the Hoff? Who the fuck are you?
I'm pretty sure I've seen ugly ass body kits like that on Mustangs already.
For as much as people talk smack about "ricer cars" with bad body kits and loud exhausts, the Mustang must be the new Honda Civic.
This is Ford's revenge on GM for their Transformers whoring.
HA! Charles was rejected as a new candidate by the other KITT!!! (You know... When Michael was wrongfully accused of carrying coke, the event that got him suspended).
Somebody call Unique Performance,they might want to hurry and get the licensing rights to KITT. It could save them...NOT
Yes! MARKB you are correct. Ford must match Chevy whore for whore. However, I think Ford got a discount compared to what Chevy had to dole out.
KITT: Micheal, it's been twenty-five years and I still have a fucking solid rear axle.
Micheal Knight: Sorry buddy, we blew the budget on my hair plugs and botox.
KITT: I knew I shouldn't have signed on until they said "Corvette".
I just hope there's turbo boost, but I won't hold my breath.
@hootjigga: Sounded like it - mashed up with "Sucker MC's." Yechh.
I just lost all respect for who ever designed it. Why a Mustang? Why, what logical reason is there?
More importantly, this car is now the definition of RICE!
It has a wing on top a wing.. good lord.
@VWMINISPEEDSTER: or "Stingray"
[en.wikipedia.org]
Lam3
This show failed 13 years ago when it was called "Viper"
hmm
i dont know why the different models look diff.. how will they explain that..
its a shame it is a Mustang.. anyone know how many special packages there are for them now..lol
i will watch the show though
No, no, no, this is all wrong. The original Super Pursuit Mode was stupid to begin with, but at least it didn't make KITT look like a JC Whitney catalog just puked on it.
What made the original KITT work was three things; the idea of a talking car, truckloads of buttons & digital gadgets and TURBO BOOST. These were all ideas that were aped from new features seen on cars of that era. I remember asking my uncle what the big red button on the dash of his Lada was and he said it was the turbo boost button. That blew my 4 year old mind.
(KITT) Michael...
(Michael) Yes KITT.
(KITT) Is it possible that NBC meant to make my front end look like the inside of a toaster oven?
I gather from the "redesigning of the stang" we can expect some rather complicated yet toddler like dialogue in the show. If they could just keep the o.g. theme song.
@MarkB:
Saleen actually built the "new" Camaro on the Transformers movies for all you GM lovers. They built 2 of them. So the 2 main vehicles are both Saleens.. the police car version of a S-281E and the Saleen built Camaro..lol.
At least they have a car that is actually REALLY fast where as the original was a 150hp 305 car...
Maybe if GM had something to offer they would have used it...no more GTO...no Camaro..no T/A