The 1982 Pontiac Trans Am ‘KITT’ from “Knight Rider”

One of the most famous cars in TV series history, the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, better known as KITT from the “Knight Rider” show.

Anyone who has ever watched the popular NBC TV series “Knight Rider” will watch Knight Industries Two Thousand, or KITT for short. The KITT was a black Pontiac Trans-Am from 1982 that doubled as a high-tech crime fighter and hot-road sports car that was virtually indestructible.

Some of the special features of KITT included its ability to jump over obstacles using turbo boost, driverless driving and looking through the mounted scanner bar. One of his most prominent features is his ability to speak.

The talking car of the 80s was considered the space age, and therefore aroused the interest of viewers. With TV ratings soaring, viewers began to fall in love with KITT as she revved up her engine and raced across the screens. In fact, it was voted number seven on the list of the 100 Greatest Movie and TV Cars of All Time by Edmunds.

After the heyday of the early 1960s and 1970s, Pontiac struggled to find its niche. It began designing its models after the higher-priced Buicks and Oldsmobiles while still trying to keep up with Chevrolet’s production volumes. The result was a jumble of different model designs, and no one really knew what Pontiac stood for.

The sharp drop in sales eventually slashed production, and profits weren’t in sight. When Universal Studios approached Pontiac to show the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am on its new TV show, “Knight Rider,” Pontiac jumped right on board. The hope was to embrace the Trans AM trade show, and that’s exactly what I did.

The 1982 Pontiac Trans AM marked the beginning of the third generation of the Firebird. The car underwent a complete makeover, featuring new sheet metal, hidden headlights, a glass-dominated rear hatchback and sleek styling.

The windshield slope has been raised by 3 degrees for a more aerodynamic 62-degree. With a new problem-tuned F-body platform and a 500-pound cut, the third-generation Firebird was the most aerodynamic GM vehicle produced at the time.

The standard V8 comes with a 145-horsepower, 5.0-liter four-cylinder engine with either a four-speed manual transmission or a three-speed automatic. Buyers had the option to subscribe to the Cross-Fire Injection version of the 5.0 liter model, which subsequently generated many negative reviews.

Overall, the 1982 Pontiac Trans AM was designed for the fast lane. It can accelerate from zero to 60 in just 9.2 seconds, which is one of its fastest times.