Move over, Dash Express. Take a seat, Garmin and Tom Tom. As of right now there's only one GPS unit worth buying, and it's this trick Knight Rider unit from Mio that issues directions in the voice of KITT. Yep,
Mr. Feeney William Daniels is gonna be right there with you, although we doubt he'll be as tolerant of your skin-tight pants and unkempt chest hair this time around. Underneath the hood it's basically the same Mio kit as you'd expect, only it boots up by saying "Hello Michael, where do you want to go today?" uses a cartoon Trans-Am to represent your car, and features dual LED scanner lights on each side. Yes, we're in love. $270 is all it'll take when this thing hits in a few months -- 10 points to the first reader to get a picture of it inside a KITT replica.
[Via
Autoblog]
posted Jun 20th 2008 4:36PM
Hell yes...HELL YES!!!!!!
Thank god.... I had been praying for a device that would help me not get laid..... and my prayers have been answers
that's funny, i didn't know ya needed help with that. you're just being modest!
Agreed...This could have won best of CES
Agreed...this could have won best of CES!
Too bad it says Knight Rider on it. That's like wearing a polyester Superman costume with his face on the smock.
Holy Sh*T!!!
This is downright orgasmic!!!
I'm soo getting one!
Nice quip, phanbouy, looks like the combined wit of you and your entire comic book league is far superior to my feeble ability to come up with one-liners. Good show......
What is so darn great about Knight Rider, anyway. One of the worst shows that ever hit the airwaves. The show was just one long commercial to promote Pontiac TransAm cars for General Motors. I'm sure G.M. workers were the biggest fans since all the cars on the show were supplied by G.M. (The TransAm, the Cadillac Eldorado, the Cad Seville and the stretch Cad DeVille). I sure hope they don't bring the show back because FLAG would be bankrupted by just buying gas for KITT. What an unrealistic kiddie show. Right up there with "My Mother the Car".
"Okay Michael, let's go cruising on Sunset Boulevard so I can pick up a pink Cadillac and exchange some hydraulic fluids."
Knight Rider = LAME TV FAIL
@Steffen Jobbs
Why ya gotta be a hater of the K-Rida?
Video or it's vapourware.
But does it play the show opening sequence every time you turn it on?
@Kaiser-Machead
That was funny. Couldn't breathe at one point. Funny shit.
"Activate Pursuit Mode!"
*I'm sorry Michael, my hooptie-transformation utility is currently not functioning*
I think it's Super Pursuit Mode.
Thank you very much
glue-on chest hair not included
How much you need? My native Kahzakstan's #1 export is human pubice.
P.S. Glue not included.
i just wet my pants i'm so excited about this
And you're still here typing?
Oh boy!
Hell yes!!! I am sooooo buying one of these. Way to go Mio! Although a Back to The Future one would be even better!
But it would only work up to 88 mph...
Then the clock would start to get all wonky.
Now I need to change my name to Michael?
This is going to be more expensive than $270.
It'll be better and less dorkier than changing it to "Microsoft Zune". ;-)
I've been holding out for a GPS nav unit. Hopefully this one works well because it would look dorky and sexy as hell in my Trans Am.
Trans Am is a great band.
By the way, why'd you change your name back? That other dude proved Lowest still exists
Just for you.
Yeah, I saw that after I had changed it lol.
Michael: Plot me the most direct route!
KITT: Really, Michael, it's right there on the monitor. All you have to do is look.
(KITT plays heavy metal)
Michael: KITT, you never liked heavy metal.
KITT: Everyone's entitled to a change of taste, Michael.
Michael: Yeah, but not at the expense of others. Contact Bonnie for me.
KITT: You can dial direct, Michael.
Something just not right about The Hoff and a slightly effeminate voice over actor acting like an old married couple...
Michael: Plot me the most direct route!
KITT: Really, Michael, it's right there on the monitor. All you have to do is look.
(KITT plays heavy metal)
Michael: KITT, you never liked heavy metal.
KITT: Everyone's entitled to a change of taste, Michael.
Michael: Yeah, but not at the expense of others. Contact Bonnie for me.
KITT: You can dial direct, Michael.
Something just not right about The Hoff and a slightly effeminate voice over actor acting like an old married couple...
LOL, now that's funny.
OK, I'm not diggin' on the "Knight Rider" stamp on top; maybe the red LED's on the side need to go, too, unless they move back and forth and make that "wah-wah" sound, lol... It's got some '80's tackiness goin' on, no question... but the rest of it I like.
Now we just need to know how it performs.
"OK, I'm not diggin' on the "Knight Rider" stamp on top; maybe the red LED's on the side need to go, too, unless they move back and forth and make that "wah-wah" sound, lol... It's got some '80's tackiness goin' on, no question... but the rest of it I like."
Right...so what you're saying is; you want a normal GPS unit?
LOL, I guess so! Apparently, gimmicks don't impress me much.
But I have to break the mold to some degree and say I like the Trans-Am on-screen icon and the idea of KITT's voice giving directions (that is, if they managed to get it right and didn't use some cheap vocal replica that sounds like some horrible digitized version compared to the real thing).
So those two things are clever to a small degree, but stamping "Knight Rider" on the top is really tacky to say the least, unless you're twelve years old, and trust me, every woman and most men who ride in your car and see the words "Knight Rider", are going to think you're a complete dork.
Like I said, the LED's might work, but only if they move back and forth. If not, then they're completely worthless and fail to replicate in a similar fashion what was on the front of KITT. Frankly, they should've just forgone the LED's on the side, and placed one single horizontal strip of LED's near the bottom and had them move from side to side - something more like what the car had, since that's what they were trying to emulate.
When I consider designing things, I'm mindful of the details. To me, Mio's efforts were OK, but they could've done much better.
Kitt from Knight Rider is a downloadable voice for TomTom, at least for Windows Mobile.
Yeah, but it's not a very good impersonation
Oh HELL YES!!! My name IS Michael!!!
Okay, okay, so I go by my middle name (Chris), but my first name REALLY is Michael!!!
Maybe it's time for a change...
Sweet. Good to know.
*Steals Identity*
BTW Engadget, its Mr. Feeny. There is no e between n and y. Look at Wikipedia and IMDB if you don't believe me.
Anyway, I can't believe Mr. Feeny was the voice of KITT. I never heard the similarity before but now I do.
I like how they call it Knight Rider so they don't get sued :).
y'know what's confusing? that there's a press outfit called Knight Ridder. always throws me for a loop
Engadget... its Mr. Feeny. There is no e between n and y.
Also can't believe Mr. Feeny was the voice of KITT. Pretty cool.
He also played John Adams in "1776" which was... a musical. Check it out - it's cute. Not great, but cute.
Wow this comment system is really slow for me today.
try hitting F5 like 4 or 5 times after you post something, if it doesn't come up on one of them, you know it didn't work :)
Or check back in an hour...
Dude,does this have mp3 abilities cause I am soo putting the theme song on this baby.
Can it be programmed to say my name? It's not Michael.
i'm sorry, Dave. I can't do that.
HAHA don't make me remove your holographic memory HAL...
http://img247.imageshack.us/my.php?image=homemadekittcargc8.jpg
Do I win 10 points?
http://img61.imageshack.us/my.php?image=homemadekittcarzk5.jpg
I think this one came out better
.... Ejaculating... I can;t get my credit card out fast enough! Where can I buy it?!
"Puerto Ricans are lazy, Michael." - Chappelle Show
DAMMIT GOD FUCKING DAMMIT YOU BEAT ME
I WAS GONNA COME IN AND SAY IT BUT NOOOOOO
lNow why you have to say that man? I'm Puerto Rican. That was funny though didn't see it coming.lol.. I'm getting that GPS for my 2005 745i. CHICK MAGNET BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUNNY STUFF! :)
Or you can drive for one year in the new KITT-alike, with a Pioneer GPS: http://www.pioneer.be/nl/page/products/NavGate/mustang.html
(Only in 4 Benelux)
The Hoff says, "Jump in my car!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgX-hiQdfFw
oh my gentle jesus, that was ass awful
is it me, or is it even more of a sausage fest around here lately?
Hmm, Fremont, CA.
my tomtom navigator on my cell phone did this about 2 years ago. for free..
I'm going to wait for the C.A.R.R. model from Stroker and Hoop...
For once, I'm actually pleased that my first name really *IS* Michael.
lol
This is the first GPS unit I've ever gotten excited about.
This will be my first GPS unit. Yes, it will. BNow, for them to get crackin' on customizing the startup to reference the actual user's name. I know it can be done. Years ago I bought my daughter a talking Elmo that said her name in the different phrases he spoke.
SO EFFING SOLD YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!
this is soo cool
The lights on the sides needs to scan depending on whether the next turn on the GPS is going to be right or left.
Too bad the TeleAtlas maps suck so bad. Been there, done that, I'm done with Mio...
Dunno if I'd buy it. There isnt a McDonalds there. Their map looks a bit off also.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=mcdonalds&sll=37.50816,-121.96558&sspn=0.015473,0.012832&ie=UTF8&ll=37.506934,-121.958199&spn=0.061892,0.051327&z=14
OMG, why did this take so long to be made! It was so obvious! Now, i just need the cops to talk like cylons and i'm set
Now my car can look like Darth Vaders bathroom too!
Too bad the second you leave it in your car to show off, someone breaks in and steals it.
Knight Rider is going to McDonalds at 9:35 in the morning?
Either Knight Rider works at McDonalds, or they didn't see Super Size Me.
Does it come with Deutschland maps for friends of the Hoff?
Hmm, I might have to buy a car just to use this.
Does it also play bad cover versions of well-known eighties rock ballads?
I've just had a trouser accident.
I had never had a GPS unit in my car before.
UNTIL I SAW THIS!!!
Mine!
Why couldn't it have been Darth Vader instead of Kitt? Or Yoda? Could you imagine hmmmm turn right at the next corner you will.
awesome. now somebody needs to make one with Majel Barret's voice.
FUCK YEAH!
2 things...ditch the knight rider logo & put a single scanner bar in it's place instead of one on each side. then pay williams daniels some extra coin to pronounce a bunch of different names so you can select your own. "turn left, Daniel" I'd use that thing for directions EVERYWHERE.
That's what I thought they should do. But now I realize that the LED's on the side weren't meant to simulate what was on the front of the car, but rather, were meant to display something similar to the LED display that was found *inside* the car where the voice module was found (LED's I had forgotten about).
Now that it has Daniels' voice, does in fact speak a bunch of names, and at least shows the front scanner on start up, it sounds like Mio did a great job. But yeah, the logo on top has to go - nothing a bit of black decal-type vinyl couldn't cover up.
Surely they could have come up with a new GUI for the release rather than just making the old Navman GUI black.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/12/navmans-s70-navigation-system-surfaces/
Surely they could have come up with a new GUI for the release rather
than just making the old Navman S Series GUI black.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/12/navmans-s70-navigation-system-surfaces/
Whats the point of the machine talking to you if you can't talk back using voice recognition?
For anyone who lives in the Bay Area, anyone notice that KITT is headed to Fry's?