Knight Rider K.I.T.T. clone hits eBay sans Turbo Boost

Sure, we're probably all guilty of fanboy bickering at one point or another in our lives, but even if you prefer the whips found in Back to the Future or Ghost Rider above all, just about anyone who appreciates restorations (and whiz-bang interiors) would be forced to give this faithful clone its due credit. The Ontario-based 1984 Pontiac Trans Am reportedly became a $40,000 project to turn an ordinary ride into a blast from the past, as the owner took extra care in crafting the posh dashboard and sleek exterior cues to mimic the real K.I.T.T. (which already sold) found in Knight Rider. Aside from the throwback lighting system and branded steering wing, this bad boy packs twin four-inch LCDs, "real working gauges," DVD / CD / MP3 players, and a custom stereo system with amplifiers. No, this ride doesn't come with any sort of warranty (nor a functioning Turbo Boost, sadly), and unless you're a Canuck, you'll be making a trip across the border to pick it up, but if you've got the $19,000 (or more) to burn, here's your chance to be David Hasselhoff incarnate. Click on through for a few more pics, or hit up the auction for the full spill.

[Via Autoblog]

[Mark 2000 @ Jan 30th 2007 9:37PM]

That wheel doesn't exactly lend itself to hand over hand turning. Is that street legal?

[KnightmareCS @ Jan 30th 2007 9:57PM]

its not legal in the States as far as i know

[cavalierex @ Jan 30th 2007 11:30PM]

@Mark2000,

You don't have to steer yourself -- K.I.T.T. drives itself. ;-)

[LordAlu @ Jan 31st 2007 3:56AM]

"That wheel doesn't exactly lend itself to hand over hand turning. Is that street legal?"

It would be in the UK - over here, if you were to do hand-over-hand turning in your driving test you would be told to stop and get failed instantly.

Oh, and Hasselhoff does hand-over-hand turning in the show too :)

[KnightmareCS @ Jan 30th 2007 9:55PM]

these always pop-up on ebay, i should know, i look for them
this is one of the better ones
its not exactly an exact replica, it has a 350 instead of the CrossFire 305 KITT had and its an 84.
im thinking about doing this to my 83 when i have the spare $$

nice to see engadget reporting on this

[3rdsun @ Jan 30th 2007 10:25PM]

Does it talk back

[alex @ Jan 31st 2007 12:34AM]

Yes. William Daniels comes with the car hidden in the trunk. It's up to you to try to sneak him over the Canadian border.

[3rdsun @ Jan 30th 2007 10:26PM]

Does it drive itself?

[Andrew H. @ Jan 30th 2007 10:58PM]

does it blend?

[Smiler @ Jan 30th 2007 11:11PM]

Does it fly?

[Jack @ Jan 30th 2007 11:48PM]

Does it have a hard-top convertible?

[John Doe @ Jan 31st 2007 12:42AM]

Does it eject passengers?

[Shawn @ Jan 31st 2007 12:48AM]

umm.... Wheres the CD player??

[ebob9 @ Jan 31st 2007 1:21AM]

Greatest.. Auction.. Ever... *faints*

[TwilightGhost @ Jan 31st 2007 1:41AM]

Can I turn it into a two-tone lowrider?

[Mark @ Jan 31st 2007 1:47AM]

Where's the Intelevision?

[Vagrant @ Jan 31st 2007 3:11AM]

Here's a youtube link, so you can enjoy the opening scenes/music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUplnn462uE

[John @ Jan 31st 2007 4:17AM]

It would look sweet in gold with a giant Fire Chicken on the hood... where's Ponch?

[Revels @ Jan 31st 2007 5:43AM]

How do we know this isn't KARR, the evil baddie car and will suck the air out the cabin when we're driving?

[stretchsje @ Jan 31st 2007 7:29AM]

I loved the show, but never really noticed that Kitt was neutered at the gearbox. Automatic transmissions are for the lazy or handicapped- surely Michael Knight doesn't fall into these categories. Even an advanced smart car with artificial intelligence wouldn't know when to shift as well as a competent driver, nor would it be able to avoid the parasitic losses of such a complex, heat-producing system. Manual transmissions are more versatile, direct, and reliable. Maybe that's why the television shots of KITT were sped up rather than having actually been driven fast.

[Brandon Bohlen @ Jan 31st 2007 7:39AM]

Anyone else think this is a death trap. LED's distracting the driver and a big pointed dashboard in front of the passenger's chest. Sidenote, why did the seller block out the REAR license plate and not the front?

[Jon Acheson @ Jan 31st 2007 9:16AM]

So, doing the math, the customizer has to clear roughly $50K to make a profit on this?

Has he contacted Jay Leno?

[Daniel @ Jan 31st 2007 9:48AM]

Meh...No room for your girlfriend in the passenger's seat. But I guess whoever buys this won't have that problem.

[bomcd @ Jan 31st 2007 10:42AM]

You can buy all of the parts to make your own...
Legally and licensed from Universal Studios, the car in this story has a lot of these parts....

www.roblouisell.com

[damon @ Jan 31st 2007 10:52AM]

fly..im sure

http://eabybid.blogspot.com

[Parker @ Jan 31st 2007 11:19AM]

Jump into my car...
GET OUT OF MY CAR!!

[Nogami @ Jan 31st 2007 11:46AM]

No super-pursuit mode?

[Kellyfaerie @ Jan 31st 2007 1:02PM]

If you want to make one of your own, the best place to get the custom parts is http://markscustomkits.com/ out of Florida. They also will make a turnkey for you for $40 - $50K last I checked.

I have been wanting to do this for years, but I'm not sure I can. Anyone want to do it for me? :)

[T-Spizzy @ Feb 1st 2007 12:27PM]

Is Mr. Feeney hiding in the trunk to respond to your every query?