Admit it, every gearhead growing up in the '80s wanted to own a car like KITT. Other action TV shows of the era had fast cars, vans, and even a couple of helicopters, but none could actually drive, talk or even think for themselves the way KITT could, and did.

Knight Rider has since become a cult classic, not for the Hoff's mix of eighties hair and clothing style, but rather because of KITT. At the time, KITT was just another fantasy fiction car dreamed up for TV, little could the show's creators have realized how much the Knight Industries Two Thousand impacted car designs of today. While we haven't gotten round to traffic leaping turbo-boost modes or true artificial intelligence, KITT's forward-thinking autonomous driving or autopilot is available right now, with Tesla spearheading the drive for self-piloting cars.

Now if we could just have a car that comes with that cool red swooshing light thingy, and maybe some molecular body coating, we'd be happy.

9 Automotive Crime Busting Star

KITT - Front Quarter View
Classic Driver

Without a question, KITT was the star of Knight Rider, both personal transport, crime-busting gadget-laden car, and a surprising hit with viewers. Instead of just a car, think of KITT as the sidekick/partner with attitude. Every situation greeted with a mix of dry humor and matter of fact retorts.

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Classic Driver

The choice of Pontiac's 1982 Firebird Trans-Am for what would become one half of Knight Rider's winning duo is an odd one. During the show, gearheads were treated to regular displays of high-speed chases which, with a little help from the cameras, gave the impression of supercar performance. In reality, KITT was a regular production car, packing a 5-liter V8 producing 150 hp.

8 Who Or What Was KITT?

KIITT - Opening Scene
Via Pinterest

Every week, Knight Rider opened with its famous "lone crusader" intro statement accompanied by clips of the series, and more importantly the head-on view of KITT. But who was KITT? Pontiac's Trans-Am is the physical aspect, the only visible aspect of the bundle of circuits, a front-mounted swooshing red LED array serving as KITT and his sensors.

KITT - Front View
Via Classic Car

Voiced by William Daniels, a star of both the big and small screen alike. Unsurprisingly, given KITT was an autonomous robot, viewers never get to see the actor despite it being one of his more famous roles. While we're on the subject of red flashing lights, robots, and the woosh-woosh sound effect, could KITT be a distant relative of the Cylons? The similarities between sound and visual effects may not just be a coincidence. Producer Glan Larson created both hit TV Shows.

RELATED: 10 Movie Cars That Totally Stole The Show

7 KITT For TATT

KITT - Fronr View
Via Wallpapercave

Our first glimpse of KITT way back in 1982 would also be Michael Knights' first encounter with the Knight Industries Two Thousand, a highly advanced autonomous weapon in the fight against crime. KITT bursts onto our screens with its now-familiar red sensor sweep. The ominous presence of zero emotional connection and the red glow was not by accident.

KITT - Fornt quarter view - Black
Via Wallpapercave

Oddly, KITT very nearly didn't exist. During the early production stages, KITT was TATT, or Trans-Am Two Thousand, we think Knight Industries makes more sense and sounds way cooler, too.

6 Gadget Lovers Dream Ride

KITT - Cockpit
Via Wikipedia

It would be impossible to place a real-world value on KITT's design and construction, ballpark figures suggest a conservative estimate of around $12 million for the original show car if all the induced tech and gadgetry worked. Throughout the show, KITT underwent dozens of changes and upgrades.

KITT Driving
Via Wikipedia

Turbos, grappling hooks, electronic jammers, if you can dream it up, chances are KITT had it on a neatly labeled button tucked away somewhere. If anything captured the imagination, it would be KITT's ability to pilot or drive itself, think of Tesla's autonomous driving mode only forty years earlier. Sadly, it's a trick, most of the scenes either use a stunt driver in the passenger footwell or concealed within the seats themselves.

5 Turbos Give You Wings

Turbo Boost
Via Pinterest

Every gearhead has the gist of how turbochargers work. Exhaust gases drive an impeller that in turn operates a compressor forcing more air and full into a car cylinder resulting in a bigger band and more performance, turbos in the '80s were still a relatively new thing for automotive use.

RELATED: Everything You Need To Know About Turbochargers

Knight Rider - Turbo Boost
Via YouTube

Knight Rider did things differently, not relying on engine or exhaust-driven blowers for a kick in the back performance boost. Instead, Michael Knight simply reached down, pressed a button and KITT took off like the proverbial scalded cat, just not in the way conventional turbos work. One press was all lt took to send KITT flying through or over any obstacle. The actual jump or stunt cars used in these scenes feature lightweight fiberglass bodies.

4 The Fast And Even Faster

KITT & Jay Leno
Via Pinterest

Running from 1982-86, KITT was the fastest thing on four wheels anywhere in the world, 0-60 mph in a claimed 2-seconds, passing the quarter-mile in 4.4-seconds with a top speed over 200 mph, surely fast enough to catch any law dodger. However, in the fourth and final season, producers gave KITT a little extra under the hood.

KITT - Super Pursuit Mode
Via Pinterest

Another button press unlocking some serious performance, Super Pursuit Mode activated various aerodynamic appendages and vents which we'd hazard a guess dramatically increased drag, the result, KITT became the first 300 mph+ road car back in the '80s.

3 One Of A Kind?

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Bring a Trailer

Save for a couple of expensive rebuilds during the show at the mercy of Goliath, KARR, Juggernaut, and the infamous acid bath scene, KITT was one of a kind. An experimental prototype designed to withstand gunfire, collisions, and even the odd explosion or two. Pontiac supplied every single KITT car used in the show for a measly $1 sale price.

KITT - Side View
Via Bring A Trailer

However, four seasons, 90 episodes, and 23 Firebirds later, Knight Rider came to an end. Vehicles that survived the torturous rigor of stunts, jump, and explosions resulted in around half being fit only for scrap. The remaining KITT cars were either broken up after the end of the show or found homes in museums of which five are still in existence.

RELATED: These Are The Coolest Muscle Cars To Star In Movies

2 KITT And KARR

KARR - Front
Via IMDB

Like all good versus evil storylines, Knight Rider and Knight Industries in particular had a few skeletons in their closet. On no fewer than two occasions did KITT come up against its predecessor, the earlier, less successful Knight Automated Roving Robot or KARR.

KARR
Via Reddit

On appearances, save for the two-tone black over silver paint job, KITT and KARR are identical, save for a few social graces one would feel entirely safe with KITT where KARR couldn't care less. Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works, both KITT and Pontiac's third-generation Firebird appeared in 1982, KARR supposedly completed six months before Michael Knight came into existence.

1 Out Of Retirement, Twice

Knight Rider 2000
Via Pinterest

Two re-boots would follow, the first under the title Knight Rider 2000 brought KITT out of retirement, teaming up once again with Michael Knight (Hasselhoff) and Devon miles. The bad news, KITT's all-over gloss black Firebird body made way for a 1957 Chevy Bel-Air, while the Knight 4000 series rode around in a less conspicuous flame-red Dodge Stealth.

KITT 2008
Via YouTube

In 2008 Knight Rider bounced back with a vengeance, no sign of the hideously modified Dodge Stealth, instead, producers went with Ford's Mustang and ditched the GM connection once and for all. Any gearheads used to the unbelievable gadgetry of the original might want to hold on to their popcorn, jumps, explosions, and high-tech remain, joined by a Transformer-like process from car to truck.