Knight Rider TV movie KITT gets 167 MPG
The new solar-powered, hybrid K.I.T.T. or Knight Industries Three Thousand, in the new Knight Rider TV movie, which aired last night , gets 167 MPG ... if it were real. Since KITT is self-aware, he describes his powerplant this way: "My system is largely solar-powered. It recycles ninety-one percent of its expended energy, allowing a ratio of 167 miles traveled for every gallon of fuel burned." Mike Traceur, the son of Michael Knight and KITT's driver (partner?) thought his ride would run on hydrogen, plutonium or something really cool he has never heard of. Not so.
"What if you are in Nebraska and your hydrogen fuel system breaks down? Complicated isn't always better," explains Sarah Graiman, daughter of the scientist that created KITT. "Why you gotta hate on Nebraska?" quips Mike. Over all, the movie had cut-out characters, a too-predictable plot and seemed entirely based around sex, cars and violence. It was great! I can't wait for the series.
Related:
- Knight Rider movie producer: the new KITT is a solar powered, "hybrid"
- New KITT's "Solar Powered Hybrid Engine" TV ad
- Val Kilmer replaces Will Arnett as the new KITT
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 6:25PM (2/18/2008)
I watched this movie. It was CRAP! The writers must be working again.
Reply
Karen Pease 6:39PM (2/18/2008)
Ah, solar cars. Too bad that apart from ridiculously infeasible "solar racers", they're an impossible concept. Even an Aptera covered in solar cells would barely have any extended range. General-use solar cars will need to stay confined to the movies until solar cells on the order of 70-80% efficiency or higher come into production. I.e., the "nanoantenna" cells might possibly be able to pull it off, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Reply
stevejust 6:53PM (2/18/2008)
Karen: the nanotechnology made KITT bullet proof and strong enough to stop a huge SUV at presumably top or near top speed without sustaining a scratch. There's no need to reach the question of the plausibility of it being solar powered too.
The only question I have is how someone could put a show that bad on the air without embarassment. The only thing I'd be more embarassed about than being involved in the production/writing/editing of that would be admitting to having watched it.
(oops.)
Reply
John Rowell 2:42AM (2/19/2008)
I watched it last night. Quite entertaining. You forgot to mention Mike's response: "So the car runs on gas." It's a solar-enhanced gas-powered car! I guess you could call it a solar-gas-hybrid. Kinda disappointing such a high-tech ride would require plain old dino-juice, but at least it gets excellent mileage thanks to the solar boost.
Reply
KA 6:27AM (2/19/2008)
"It recycles ninety-one percent of its expended energy"
Heh, apparently they're not aware of Carnot's theorem, which sets a theoretical upper bound on heat engines well under 91%:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle#The_Carnot_cycle_2
Reply
BGJ 6:34AM (2/19/2008)
Was that an hour-long Ford commercial? How cool is a mustang that can't outrun an Edge?
Reply
Gary 9:21AM (2/19/2008)
Yeah, BGJ, that was my thought too... Most of the camera shots were done in the Car Commercial style. Could you tell Ford marketing had their hands all over it? The final straw was when mr. baywatch himself showed up at the end. I don't expect this to last a full season before it's yanked.... and that's if they even have the lack of shame to produce episodes beyond this plot predictable car commercial.
Reply
Azrael4h 10:23PM (2/19/2008)
There was a plot?
Reply
OptimusPrimer 11:15AM (4/23/2008)
"What if you are in Nebraska and your hydrogen fuel system breaks down? Complicated isn't always better,"
That sounded to me like the dumbest half-assed line ever, after "Come with me if you want to live". But even more scary... considering that after Transformers we have began to see an awful lot of infomercials disguised as TV shows, well... it's sounds pretty much like your usual manipulating oil company propaganda.
Consider this: there is still about three-hundred trillion dollars to be made by oil companies between the US and the middle east, a war is going on which is causing the price of oil to raise. Of course we can't get off the juice so fast so the only viable solution is to sell as much as possible by promoting high-powered gas guzzlers at every damn opportunity we got. Hell, Transformers was the best thing ever for the industry! Humvees, Peterbilt trucks, Mustangs, SUV's of all (BIG) shapes and (HUGE, NOISY) sizes started to become suddenly very popular among teenagers, and let's not forget... a lot of them are almost at the legal age to drive...and aks their parents what car they want for graduation... and some parents are actually that dumb, take my word for it.
The Hoff knows it too, he's not stupid, and especially doesn't wanna go broke like his buddy MC Hammered, so they only chance he's got it to use the popularity and nostalgia of the 80s (which ALWAYS works) and kick it old school by adding gas guzzlers and big words to confuse all the teenage jocks and bimbos out there who don't know what the hell is going on and who will respond to bright colors, shiny objects and loud noises.
Reply