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It has been confirmed. KITT, the iconic car in Knight Rider will be played by a Shelby GT500KR Mustang. The model for the show has been highly customized to meet the demands of production. Currently, they are using three different models to play the part of KITT.
The first model is pretty basic and is slotted to be used for the every-day KITT. When attack mode is used, the second model is brought in. This one has been pretty tricked out with air ride technology and specialized body parts. KITT remote is played by a third model and will be used as the driverless vehicle in the show.
Knight Rider fans will not be disappointed with the change. The sneak peak pictures show an awesome Mustang that may even convince on-the-fencers to join a Mustang fan club. Even die hard fans who loved the Pontiac F-Body used in the old show will appreciate what the creators have done with the Mustang body for this incarnation.
The specs for the GT500KR make it clear why this vehicle was chosen as the new KITT. It has been dubbed the “most powerful Mustang” ever. Its namesake, the 1968 GT500KR was the strongest inspiration for this new release. It features an incredible additional 40bhp under its new customized hood.
Referring to the new design, Carroll Shelby noted, “I’m proud to once again be a part of an historical moment, bringing back the ‘King of the Road’ Mustang, and collaborating with Ford SVT and Ford Racing. I’m committed to continuously upping the ante when it comes to performance, and it’s great to be doing it with Ford.”
“The return of the Shelby GT500KR further establishes Mustang as the true king of the pony car segment,” said Robert Parker, manager of Ford Car Brand. So far, only 1000 units have been made and they will become available to the general public in mid-2008.
The Shelby GT500KR has made quite an impression on auto reviewers and it’s easy to see why it was moved to the forefront when it came to selecting the new KITT. When it was debuted at the New York Auto Show in 2007, it made an incredible stir. Fans of the old version were pleased by the attention to detail in this new model.
It features signed Shelby seats as well as numerous interior options that make the “King of the Road” a pleasure to drive. If you want to own your very own KITT, expect to plunk down some serious change. All the new features come with a price, and it clocks in at around $50K or more.
If you want to see the car in action in Knight Rider, it is scheduled to premier on February 16, 2008 on NBC. The current writer’s strike might delay the show’s debut a bit, but it is definitely worth tuning in, if for nothing else than to see what they’ve done with the car.
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