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Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n
\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n
\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

The Timberwolf is fully equipped with Tektro dual-piston brakes in the front and rear, 400 Lumen Headlight, a Rear Pannier Rack, Front Basket Rack, and Front and Rear Mud Fenders. The 24-inch front tire makes climbing over rocky terrain a breeze. Foldable handlebars make hauling this scooter to the mountains a breeze, and the kickstand helps keep it upright. The Timberwolf is fun, maneuverable, and easy to transport, making it a great addition to your backcountry gear. Check these scooters out at https:\/\/bakcou.com\/products\/timberwolf-scooter<\/a> MSRP 2,898.00<\/p>\n","post_title":"Coolest Tactical Vehicles for Civilians from SHOT Show 2022","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"coolest-tactical-vehicles","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-11 17:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-11 21:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/2022\/01\/31\/coolest-tactical-vehicles\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":165604,"post_author":"1026","post_date":"2021-11-19 08:33:44","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-19 13:33:44","post_content":"\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

When you're thinking \"tactical vehicles\" you're probably not thinking \"scooters.\" But Bakcou wants to change your mind with Timberwolf. High powered and built for the backcountry, the Timberwolf lives up to its name. The new, all-terrain scooter can take you anywhere you want to go. It is built with a Bafang 750-Watt rear hub motor, the same motor found in their eBikes but in a lighter weight scooter. The Timberwolf can carry up to 300 pounds and will cruise at about 20mph thanks to the 48V 17.5ah battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timberwolf is fully equipped with Tektro dual-piston brakes in the front and rear, 400 Lumen Headlight, a Rear Pannier Rack, Front Basket Rack, and Front and Rear Mud Fenders. The 24-inch front tire makes climbing over rocky terrain a breeze. Foldable handlebars make hauling this scooter to the mountains a breeze, and the kickstand helps keep it upright. The Timberwolf is fun, maneuverable, and easy to transport, making it a great addition to your backcountry gear. Check these scooters out at https:\/\/bakcou.com\/products\/timberwolf-scooter<\/a> MSRP 2,898.00<\/p>\n","post_title":"Coolest Tactical Vehicles for Civilians from SHOT Show 2022","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"coolest-tactical-vehicles","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-11 17:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-11 21:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/2022\/01\/31\/coolest-tactical-vehicles\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":165604,"post_author":"1026","post_date":"2021-11-19 08:33:44","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-19 13:33:44","post_content":"\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you're thinking \"tactical vehicles\" you're probably not thinking \"scooters.\" But Bakcou wants to change your mind with Timberwolf. High powered and built for the backcountry, the Timberwolf lives up to its name. The new, all-terrain scooter can take you anywhere you want to go. It is built with a Bafang 750-Watt rear hub motor, the same motor found in their eBikes but in a lighter weight scooter. The Timberwolf can carry up to 300 pounds and will cruise at about 20mph thanks to the 48V 17.5ah battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timberwolf is fully equipped with Tektro dual-piston brakes in the front and rear, 400 Lumen Headlight, a Rear Pannier Rack, Front Basket Rack, and Front and Rear Mud Fenders. The 24-inch front tire makes climbing over rocky terrain a breeze. Foldable handlebars make hauling this scooter to the mountains a breeze, and the kickstand helps keep it upright. The Timberwolf is fun, maneuverable, and easy to transport, making it a great addition to your backcountry gear. Check these scooters out at https:\/\/bakcou.com\/products\/timberwolf-scooter<\/a> MSRP 2,898.00<\/p>\n","post_title":"Coolest Tactical Vehicles for Civilians from SHOT Show 2022","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"coolest-tactical-vehicles","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-11 17:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-11 21:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/2022\/01\/31\/coolest-tactical-vehicles\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":165604,"post_author":"1026","post_date":"2021-11-19 08:33:44","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-19 13:33:44","post_content":"\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

Bakcou Timberwolf Scooter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you're thinking \"tactical vehicles\" you're probably not thinking \"scooters.\" But Bakcou wants to change your mind with Timberwolf. High powered and built for the backcountry, the Timberwolf lives up to its name. The new, all-terrain scooter can take you anywhere you want to go. It is built with a Bafang 750-Watt rear hub motor, the same motor found in their eBikes but in a lighter weight scooter. The Timberwolf can carry up to 300 pounds and will cruise at about 20mph thanks to the 48V 17.5ah battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timberwolf is fully equipped with Tektro dual-piston brakes in the front and rear, 400 Lumen Headlight, a Rear Pannier Rack, Front Basket Rack, and Front and Rear Mud Fenders. The 24-inch front tire makes climbing over rocky terrain a breeze. Foldable handlebars make hauling this scooter to the mountains a breeze, and the kickstand helps keep it upright. The Timberwolf is fun, maneuverable, and easy to transport, making it a great addition to your backcountry gear. Check these scooters out at https:\/\/bakcou.com\/products\/timberwolf-scooter<\/a> MSRP 2,898.00<\/p>\n","post_title":"Coolest Tactical Vehicles for Civilians from SHOT Show 2022","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"coolest-tactical-vehicles","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-11 17:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-11 21:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/2022\/01\/31\/coolest-tactical-vehicles\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":165604,"post_author":"1026","post_date":"2021-11-19 08:33:44","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-19 13:33:44","post_content":"\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

Built for exploration, the Ranger E-Bike will take you where you want, or need, to go. The QuietKat Ranger is a fat tire electric bike with a durable but well-balanced frame and a powerful 750- or 1000-watt rear hub motor. A full charge will get you up to 48 miles while using any and all of the modes which include 5 levels of pedal assist, throttle mode, and walk Assist Mode. The Ranger tackles rough terrain steadily and confidently. QuietKat\u2019s performance component package includes 203mm mechanical disc brakes, a front suspension fork, and an all-new integrated heavy-duty rear rack system for carrying even more gear! The Ranger is the ideal companion for a weekend exploring deep into the forest or silently heading to your favorite hunting spot. https:\/\/quietkat.com\/products\/ranger-electric-bike. Staring at $3499  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bakcou Timberwolf Scooter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you're thinking \"tactical vehicles\" you're probably not thinking \"scooters.\" But Bakcou wants to change your mind with Timberwolf. High powered and built for the backcountry, the Timberwolf lives up to its name. The new, all-terrain scooter can take you anywhere you want to go. It is built with a Bafang 750-Watt rear hub motor, the same motor found in their eBikes but in a lighter weight scooter. The Timberwolf can carry up to 300 pounds and will cruise at about 20mph thanks to the 48V 17.5ah battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timberwolf is fully equipped with Tektro dual-piston brakes in the front and rear, 400 Lumen Headlight, a Rear Pannier Rack, Front Basket Rack, and Front and Rear Mud Fenders. The 24-inch front tire makes climbing over rocky terrain a breeze. Foldable handlebars make hauling this scooter to the mountains a breeze, and the kickstand helps keep it upright. The Timberwolf is fun, maneuverable, and easy to transport, making it a great addition to your backcountry gear. Check these scooters out at https:\/\/bakcou.com\/products\/timberwolf-scooter<\/a> MSRP 2,898.00<\/p>\n","post_title":"Coolest Tactical Vehicles for Civilians from SHOT Show 2022","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"coolest-tactical-vehicles","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-11 17:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-11 21:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/2022\/01\/31\/coolest-tactical-vehicles\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":165604,"post_author":"1026","post_date":"2021-11-19 08:33:44","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-19 13:33:44","post_content":"\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

Quietkat Ranger E-Bike<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Built for exploration, the Ranger E-Bike will take you where you want, or need, to go. The QuietKat Ranger is a fat tire electric bike with a durable but well-balanced frame and a powerful 750- or 1000-watt rear hub motor. A full charge will get you up to 48 miles while using any and all of the modes which include 5 levels of pedal assist, throttle mode, and walk Assist Mode. The Ranger tackles rough terrain steadily and confidently. QuietKat\u2019s performance component package includes 203mm mechanical disc brakes, a front suspension fork, and an all-new integrated heavy-duty rear rack system for carrying even more gear! The Ranger is the ideal companion for a weekend exploring deep into the forest or silently heading to your favorite hunting spot. https:\/\/quietkat.com\/products\/ranger-electric-bike. Staring at $3499  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bakcou Timberwolf Scooter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you're thinking \"tactical vehicles\" you're probably not thinking \"scooters.\" But Bakcou wants to change your mind with Timberwolf. High powered and built for the backcountry, the Timberwolf lives up to its name. The new, all-terrain scooter can take you anywhere you want to go. It is built with a Bafang 750-Watt rear hub motor, the same motor found in their eBikes but in a lighter weight scooter. The Timberwolf can carry up to 300 pounds and will cruise at about 20mph thanks to the 48V 17.5ah battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timberwolf is fully equipped with Tektro dual-piston brakes in the front and rear, 400 Lumen Headlight, a Rear Pannier Rack, Front Basket Rack, and Front and Rear Mud Fenders. The 24-inch front tire makes climbing over rocky terrain a breeze. Foldable handlebars make hauling this scooter to the mountains a breeze, and the kickstand helps keep it upright. The Timberwolf is fun, maneuverable, and easy to transport, making it a great addition to your backcountry gear. Check these scooters out at https:\/\/bakcou.com\/products\/timberwolf-scooter<\/a> MSRP 2,898.00<\/p>\n","post_title":"Coolest Tactical Vehicles for Civilians from SHOT Show 2022","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"coolest-tactical-vehicles","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-11 17:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-11 21:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/2022\/01\/31\/coolest-tactical-vehicles\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":165604,"post_author":"1026","post_date":"2021-11-19 08:33:44","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-19 13:33:44","post_content":"\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

POPULAR

BROWSE BY BRAND

\n

The Armored Deployment Platform is a custom built NIJ Level IV platform that provides room for up to four fully-dressed officers and is equipped with two locking gun ports, four 5\u201d x 9\u201d sliding gun ports, four bullet proof glass sight ports, and 2 wireless video cameras attached to the front of the platform with video feed to the equipment operator. The Hydraulic Breaching Ram attachment delivers 6,500 psi of pressure and much more power than a traditional hand-carried ram. The Grapple Claw can be utilized to gain access to pretty much anywhere and destroy anything with its 4,500 lbs. of pressure. You can also get a Vehicle Extraction Tool which can move vehicles or even lift vehicles when needed. When the zombies come this is the vehicle you want to have on your side. Check it out at https:\/\/therook.ringpower.com\/<\/a> Starting at only $334,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quietkat Ranger E-Bike<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Built for exploration, the Ranger E-Bike will take you where you want, or need, to go. The QuietKat Ranger is a fat tire electric bike with a durable but well-balanced frame and a powerful 750- or 1000-watt rear hub motor. A full charge will get you up to 48 miles while using any and all of the modes which include 5 levels of pedal assist, throttle mode, and walk Assist Mode. The Ranger tackles rough terrain steadily and confidently. QuietKat\u2019s performance component package includes 203mm mechanical disc brakes, a front suspension fork, and an all-new integrated heavy-duty rear rack system for carrying even more gear! The Ranger is the ideal companion for a weekend exploring deep into the forest or silently heading to your favorite hunting spot. https:\/\/quietkat.com\/products\/ranger-electric-bike. Staring at $3499  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bakcou Timberwolf Scooter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you're thinking \"tactical vehicles\" you're probably not thinking \"scooters.\" But Bakcou wants to change your mind with Timberwolf. High powered and built for the backcountry, the Timberwolf lives up to its name. The new, all-terrain scooter can take you anywhere you want to go. It is built with a Bafang 750-Watt rear hub motor, the same motor found in their eBikes but in a lighter weight scooter. The Timberwolf can carry up to 300 pounds and will cruise at about 20mph thanks to the 48V 17.5ah battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timberwolf is fully equipped with Tektro dual-piston brakes in the front and rear, 400 Lumen Headlight, a Rear Pannier Rack, Front Basket Rack, and Front and Rear Mud Fenders. The 24-inch front tire makes climbing over rocky terrain a breeze. Foldable handlebars make hauling this scooter to the mountains a breeze, and the kickstand helps keep it upright. The Timberwolf is fun, maneuverable, and easy to transport, making it a great addition to your backcountry gear. Check these scooters out at https:\/\/bakcou.com\/products\/timberwolf-scooter<\/a> MSRP 2,898.00<\/p>\n","post_title":"Coolest Tactical Vehicles for Civilians from SHOT Show 2022","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"coolest-tactical-vehicles","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-11 17:40:09","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-11 21:40:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/2022\/01\/31\/coolest-tactical-vehicles\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":165604,"post_author":"1026","post_date":"2021-11-19 08:33:44","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-19 13:33:44","post_content":"\n

Do you remember the TV series \u201cKnight Rider\u201d? Lots don\u2019t, but for people who do, it invariably has a polarizing effect. One view is that the show\u2019s real star, a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was a great platform for showing off existing and future technologies, like artificial intelligence, self- driving cars and voice recognition. The other view is that the show was an epic explosion in a 1980\u2019s kitsch factory, leaving the audience dodging things falling out of the sky, like unbuttoned pink shirts, plastic body cladding and David Hasselhoff\u2019s haircut. Since this column is about unusual cars, we\u2019ll give at least a temporary benefit of the doubt and go the tech route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The Knight Rider!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s backstory reads like The Six Million Dollar Man got a fifth of Wild Turkey and spent a weekend hanging out with Speed Racer. Michael Long was a LAPD detective who got shot in the face and was about dead. A billionaire, Wilton Knight, who runs an outfit called Knight Industries, somehow swoops in, avoids the whole \u201chey, wasn\u2019t there a patient in that bed a minute ago?\u201d inquiry, patches him up and gives him a new identity as Michael Knight, crimefighter extraordinaire. But where Steve Austin<\/a> got the bionic limbs, telephoto eye and Jamie Somers, all the good stuff, except for aforementioned haircut, instead goes to the Pontiac, the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka, KITT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pontiac\u2019s features read like the writers and director simply raided every gadget from every movie car in the prior thirty years. James Bond\u2019s Aston Martin, Speed\u2019s Mach 5, the Green Hornet car, Herbie the Love Bug and even Christine (though less possessively) are all well represented, albeit to songs by Quarterflash and Men at Work. A rogue\u2019s gallery of notable features are: rocket boost that allows the Poncho to jump over things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KITT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go, Go, Gadget, oh Wait.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cscan bar\u201d that allows the car to see in different wavelengths, an oil slick spreader to lose pursuing cars, grip tires that put out spikes for insane terrain, cutting lasers for undoing nefarious enemy cars, bomb sniffers for, well, sniffing bombs, infra-red tracking in case the scan bar was on a smoke break, architectural analysis of nearby buildings pending a guest appearance by Helmut Jahn, a bulletproof and bombproof shell for when the ratings came in, a layer of fireproofing for when the studio saw the ratings, remote manipulation of ATM\u2019s allowing our crime-fighting hero to commit felony theft at a whim (and which is extra-odd, because the car also had its own, internal ATM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical scanner fit to give the AMA hives, instantly tintable windows for unexpected trips to Florida, a voice-stress analyzer (for married guys), a chemical analyzer for avoiding DUI\u2019s, an ability for the car to hear and understand the outside environment, an ability for the car to smell the outside environment, a fingerprint scanner, a ballistics analyzer, an induction coil to energize objects, a flame thrower for in case the George Foreman grill is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interior oxygen supply for when the hukkah bar is out but you think you still stand a chance with the Harley Quinn lookalike, magnesium flares to divert random heat-seeking missiles, voice recognition to avoid those pesky keyboards, a grappling hook, a ski system to drive on snow, a hydroplane system to drive on water, air brakes for when discs simply won\u2019t do, and a homing device to allow the car to self-drive to you if you and Speed are still working on that Wild Turkey<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and, of course, an ejection seat. You have <\/em>to have an ejection seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight Rider Had It All<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In something that finally does NOT get them the Cheez Whiz award, the writers presaged some of today\u2019s actual auto technology, some of which was reasonably foreseeable, but some which probably wasn\u2019t. We\u2019re talking about sensors that can look all the way around the car, sensors that can detect people and other vehicles, instant language translation, the computerized ability to match accent and language usage, the ability to adjust ride height for offroad work, retractable aerodynamic features for stability at speed (Porsche), an in-dash video display (which can also play music and run arcade games), the Apple watch, ability to inflate and deflate tires (Hummer), a satphone, computer links, a retractable hardtop and GPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But far and away the biggest feature which actually makes the car the protagonist is that it has artificial intelligence, which makes it sentient. As in self-aware and capable of exercising free will. The voice actor who did the artificial intelligence voice insisted that he got no credits for doing it, although fans eventually figured it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still Going...<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exhausting just repeating it all, let alone contemplating using it. In the words of one contemporary critic: \u201cThe essence of a good adventure story is that the good guy might not make it. He\u2019s facing huge odds. You have to have that tension. But he uses ingenuity and courage, puts us in a cliffhanger, and then barely makes it. That\u2019s <\/em>a story. Well, I\u2019m here to tell you, if you have all that crazy s*&@ that is on this car, you don\u2019t need much in the way of either ingenuity or courage, and if you still <\/em>can\u2019t win, you\u2019re a world class a@#*&e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a whole lot of people disagreed with that critic, and the show met with a surge of popularity, turning into a franchise, running for 4 seasons and a healthy 90 episodes between 1982 and 1986. It has been reprised with other films, re-releases, untold model cars, clones, web pages and even a French comic strip. Charlie Hebdo, this would have caused you a whole lot fewer problems. Twenty-three of the cars were built. Five of them ultimately survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Living Legend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Okay, if you are Brian Grams and you own an auto museum, and one of the museum\u2019s specialties is movie and TV cars<\/a>, well, you pretty much have to have one. While he was not able to get one of the originals, he did land a very high quality replica. This one was made to the original design specs and is essentially indistinguishable from the screen cars. And it\u2019sautographed by the famed George Barris, who was involved in some seasons of the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even non-fans will have to admit that, kitsch notwithstanding, it makes a pretty cool display. Long live the Knight Rider!<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cinema Cars: The 'Knight Rider' 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, K.I.T.T.","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"knight-rider","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-09 10:07:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-09 14:07:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.athlonoutdoors.com\/article\/knight-rider\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":4},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};

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The Rook is quite possibly the ultimate in tactical vehicles. Custom designed and fabricated by Ring Power Corporation using a Cat chassis with rubber tracks, dual joystick controls, cameras, gun port holes, rear and front lights, an enclosed cab with air conditioning\/heat, and operator comfort seat. The Rook also features bullet-proof glass, and a full NIJ Level IV armored cab with reinforcement fabrication on every square inch. The Rook is designed to utilize a plethora of heavily armored accessories and breeching tools as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Armored Deployment Platform is a custom built NIJ Level IV platform that provides room for up to four fully-dressed officers and is equipped with two locking gun ports, four 5\u201d x 9\u201d sliding gun ports, four bullet proof glass sight ports, and 2 wireless video cameras attached to the front of the platform with video feed to the equipment operator. The Hydraulic Breaching Ram attachment delivers 6,500 psi of pressure and much more power than a traditional hand-carried ram. The Grapple Claw can be utilized to gain access to pretty much anywhere and destroy anything with its 4,500 lbs. of pressure. You can also get a Vehicle Extraction Tool which can move vehicles or even lift vehicles when needed. When the zombies come this is the vehicle you want to have on your side. Check it out at https:\/\/therook.ringpower.com\/<\/a> Starting at only $334,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Built for exploration, the Ranger E-Bike will take you where you want, or need, to go. The QuietKat Ranger is a fat tire electric bike with a durable but well-balanced frame and a powerful 750- or 1000-watt rear hub motor. A full charge will get you up to 48 miles while using any and all of the modes which include 5 levels of pedal assist, throttle mode, and walk Assist Mode. The Ranger tackles rough terrain steadily and confidently. QuietKat\u2019s performance component package includes 203mm mechanical disc brakes, a front suspension fork, and an all-new integrated heavy-duty rear rack system for carrying even more gear! The Ranger is the ideal companion for a weekend exploring deep into the forest or silently heading to your favorite hunting spot. https:\/\/quietkat.com\/products\/ranger-electric-bike. Staring at $3499  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bakcou Timberwolf Scooter<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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When you're thinking \"tactical vehicles\" you're probably not thinking \"scooters.\" But Bakcou wants to change your mind with Timberwolf. High powered and built for the backcountry, the Timberwolf