2008 FORD SHELBY GT500KR LANDS STARRING ROLE ON KNIGHT RIDER
DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 13, 2007 -- When the
2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR launches this spring don't be surprised if
there's some confusion over what the letters "KR" stand for.
While
the super car has been known to racing fans as "King of the
Road” since
1968, it's about to star in a remake of the hit TV series Knight
Rider making mix-ups inevitable.
"It's
purely a coincidence and a nice one at that,"" said Al Uzielli a senior
advisor, to Ford Global Brand Entertainment the Ford office in Beverly
Hills which works to place Ford branded vehicles in movies, TV and
other media. "Auto enthusiasts will know what KR stands for. But most
viewers will probably think it means Knight Rider; at least at first."
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The
popular American television series which ran from 1982 to 1986 starred
David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a kind of modern day "knight". His
partner was an advanced Pontiac Trans Am with artificial intelligence.
Not only could it talk, it could morph into an attack vehicle that
accelerated to 300 mph, used a Turbo Boost to jump over obstacles and
even drive itself.
In the new version, Hasselhoff returns, but
the lead character is now Justin Bruening who plays Knight's long-lost
son Michael Tracer. Replacing the Pontiac is the KR which in real-life
is about to launch a 40th anniversary limited edition with an engine
output estimated at 540 horsepower.
But Knight Rider
is more than just the product integration of a Ford vehicle into a plot
line; it's also a media sponsorship with commercials and promotions for
Ford products interjected throughout the two hour program. If the
ratings are good, NBC plans to turn the show into a weekly series this
fall.
Knight Rider will provide Ford with the
opportunity to showcase its new SYNC voice activated information and
entertainment technology into the storyline in vehicles like the Focus
and Edge. The arrangement allows NBC and Ford to co-promote both the
movie and the cars at special events, in theaters, in print and on the
internet.
"This is a completely car-centric show and my
understanding is that NBC was heavily pursued by both GM and Chrysler,"
Uzielli said. "We landed it because not only did we have the perfect
car, we had the right logistics. Our advertising agency Teamdetroit had
strong contacts on the business side and our team at Ford Global Brand
Entertainment had a close relationship with the creative side including
the new head of NBC Entertainment Ben Silverman."
For many Knight Rider fans the casting
of the car known as KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) is as
important as the lead character.
In the movie version, KITT's supercomputer is capable of
hacking
almost any system and its body – thanks to its
creator’s work and
nanotechnology – is capable of actually shifting shape and
color. Plus,
its artificial intelligence makes it the ideal good cop partner:
logical, precise and possessing infinite knowledge. It is the ultimate
car – and someone will be willing to do anything to obtain
it.
For designers, the first challenge of creating a screen
version
of the “King of the Road” 2008 Shelby GT500KR, was
that the car isn’t
even on the road yet. The solution was to go to Galpin Auto Sports
(GAS) who is well-known for creating one-of-a-kind vehicles in the
California market.
GAS had one week to create the new KITT, and they pulled out
all
the stops. Six people worked full time to create the Mustang that would
be sent over to Picture Car Warehouse as the father of all the KITT
derivatives and stunt cars.
Not only does KITT make its appearance as a GT500KR but Knight
Rider fans get to see KITT in three modes – HERO,
ATTACK and camouflage versions.
The HERO is a standard 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR and the
ATTACK is a further modified high-speed version.
The GT500KR is built up from a Mustang GT with an automatic
transmission to facilitate the driving scenes, stunts, and camera work
necessary to produce the great action scenes in the movie. Stunt
versions were also built for doing all of the aggressive driving
maneuvers.
The ATTACK version was designed by
Harold Belker who is also responsible for the vehicles in movies like Batman
& Robin, Armageddon, Deep Blue Sea, Inspector Gadget,
Battlefield
Earth, Spider-Man, Minority Report, XXX, The Cat in the Hat and
Superman.
Working with Belker was Ted Moser of Picture Car Warehouse and
25 automotive specialists who, created six variations of the GT500KR.
The ATTACK car features a new rear bumper cover,
two-tiered
spoiler, side scoops and custom rocker panels... not to mention a
completely modified interior to accommodate creative needs, shooting
and post production computer graphics.
"Ford wanted to keep KITT as close to the Mustang Shelby
GT500KR as possible," Belker said. "Some may say the ATTACK
version is a little over the top, but this isn't about reinventing
design language, it's about being entertaining."
By the time Knight Rider debuts in
February, a Mustang will have already had extensive media exposure in
the movie I Am Legend
which opens December 17. Starring Will Smith, the story gives major
screen time to a Ford Shelby GT500. Between the two roles, the Mustang
brand is about to get three months worth of the kind of Hollywood
visibility not often seen by one product – or for that matter
one star.
"I don't think we've ever seen anything like this," said Cindy
Stacy, senior vice president and director of national broadcast for
Teamdetroit. "The important thing is that while the Mustang has a
starring role in both projects, other Ford vehicles are integrated
throughout the films. In fact, in Knight Rider I
think just about every Ford vehicle is accounted for."
While some may see the timing of the two projects as pure
luck,
Frank Zazza, considered a legend in the product integration industry
for placing products like Reese's Pieces in the movie ET
and Junior Mints in a well known episode of Seinfeld,
says it's more.
"You can only call it luck if you realize that being lucky is
being prepared when the opportunity comes," he said. "The people at
Ford were prepared and they knew how to act quickly. They have been
excellent at finding quality projects and putting the right vehicles
into the right parts."
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