The teaser for NBC’s latest Knight Rider incarnation has been released—check out KITT’s beefy new voice! What’s up with that? Did they think the British accent made him sound like too much of a wuss? Anyway, I thought this trailer was pretty cool. I particularly liked this line: "KITT, try something like that again, and I’ll put sugar in your gas tank." But while I totally love the idea of a car that could drive me home from the bar, I don’t know if KITT is really "the coolest car in the world," as they repeatedly claim. What do you think? Does a Knight Industries upgrade render any other vehicle sub-par?

Most of the time, a three-day week seems short, but this one has made me more miserable than a goth kid at Disney World. Time to up the lunch beers I guess. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Everyone has reported that oil just hit 100 dollars a barrel, but Ford is doing something about it. Their new nav systems will help drivers find cheap gas: Automotive News
• Terrorism has caused race organizers to cancel the Dakar Rally. Funny… as scary as this event is, I figured terrorists would be all for it: Top Gear
• Spy shots of BMW’s new 5-Series have leaked, and I couldn’t help but think that some of their recent models would have looked better had they left the cladding on: Auto Express
• Here’s a big surprise: Ford paid so KITT would be reincarnated as a Mustang. Is nothing sacred? Autoblog

So now that the new KITT is out, comparisons are inevitible. The guys at Popular Mechanics Magazine really went all out–just check out their "special features" chart. I’m hoping that the suggested retail of "KITT Version 2.3" will prevent any super nerds from attempting to build a fully functional replica.

When we reported on speculation that the latest incarnation of KITT might be a Mustang, opinions were decidedly mixed. Well, it’s either time to celebrate or medicate, because the cat is officially out of the bag: Ford has confirmed that Knight Industries will be dropping its fancy hardware into a Shelby GT500KR. The "KR" branding actually dates back to the ’60s—it actually stands for King of the Road—but Ford seems pretty stoked about the coincidence. When production models arrive in showrooms, hopefully salesmen won’t have to spend to much time explaining why it doesn’t talk. Initial plans are only for a two hour movie, but if it proves successful, NBC might look to launch a new weekly series. Of course, the Hoff will be involved, but the lion’s share of screen time will probably go to his "long-lost" son. What do you think? Will the movie sink or swim?      

The California Fuel Cell Partnership welcomed Chrysler into the fold, giving it a total of 34 organizations and nine car makers. It looks like things are going well for fuel cell technology, in Cali at least. Now for the news:

• Bad news hits GM again. The new K.I.T.T is going to be a Ford: Winding Road
• On the brighter side, the General is still doing big things in India, opening its first design shop there: DetNews
• OnStar is coming to China. Does that mean the government doesn’t think enough of the technology behind it to slap an export restriction on it? Jalopnik
• Tesla looks to be focused on getting their stuff together, begining with a new CEO: Motor Authority

Update: It looks like the rumors are true, and KITT is indeed going to be one of Ford’s famous Ponys. Check out the leaked photo below, and head over to Jalopnik to get the full story. Our friends over at Jalopnik are reporting that the next incarnation of KITT might be a Mustang—and he’ll be equipped with a breathalyzer ignition lock. Kidding. While some around the office opined this is heresy—and the General can’t be happy about losing this crime-fighting advert—I don’t think it’s a bad idea. But I would like to suggest that Huntington Beach Bodyworks build KARR, KITT’s homicidal, ill-tempered, doppelgnger. Seriously, just look at the Mustang they brought to SEMA! If those guys couldn’t make a compelling foe for KITT, I don’t know who could!

The entertainment chief for NBC, Ben Silverman, was inspired by the Transformers movie of all things to revive the hit TV show Knight Rider. His logic behind the move was that TV special effects have become advanced enough to make show about a shape-shifting, talking car look decent on a weekly basis. It will not start out as a show right away, though; Knight Rider will first be a two-hour made-for-TV movie which is already in the works as we speak. If the movie is a hit, then NBC will most likely have a new K.I.T.T. ready for us by next fall. Reguardless of the plot of the movie, the series will most likely revive the one-man vigalante and his super-advanced automotive sidekick. The only bummer I see to all of this is that there is no new Trans Am for them to use. Most shows go for brand sponsorships and brands like GM dont go with old cars. Would we all be upset if K.I.T.T. was a Pontiac Solstice?