Life is beautiful. I am looking at television waiting for the start at Daytona. After the race—go Clint Boyer!—I’m going to take a nap. Then I’m goning to watch Knight Rider. Look, things could be more perfect—I could be at Daytona—but I can’t complain. Stay tuned!

This is easily the best Knight Rider commercial yet. The part where the truck t-bones KITT and he doesn’t even flinch? Two words: bad and ass. So I’m actually kind of stoked to see the movie on Sunday. Sure, it’s not going to be the greatest thing ever committed to film, but I’m figuring that after a couple of beers, it’ll be a blast to watch. Honestly? I just hope the Hoff makes a cameo, and that there’s some mention—like, any, mention—of KITT’s evil twin, KARR. Otherwise, I don’t really care what happens. What do you want to see? And do you think NBC will actually make Knight Rider into a weekly series?

In a surprising turn of events, Will Arnett is out as the voice of KITT. The former Arrested Development star is known in the industry for his voice-over work, particularly in GMC trucks advertisements. This creates a bit of awkwardness, due to the fact that the Knight Rider movie and series are both sponsored by Ford. It’s also a serious problem for NBC, since the made-for-TV movie airs in just 9 days on February 17th! Not to fear though, Batman will save the day: KITT will be voiced by none other than Val Kilmer. The fans over at the Knight Rider Online forum still aren’t happy, though. They want the 81-year-old Will Daniels (the original voice of KITT) to make his TV comeback! If they’re changing the car, does it really matter if they use another voice?

Sure, I’m down with the nano-tech enhanced camouflage, the on-the-go access to military satellite data and the regeneration capabilities, but what about seat warmers? Or a power moon roof? Or iPod integration? I have a feeling you’re going to have to pay out the nose for those features.

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?

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?      

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?