Page 1 of 3

Am I The Only One Who Liked Super Pursuit Mode?

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 4:46 am
by Supersonic Lorry
Hi folks,
I've only been with this forum a short time and don't know everyone's likes/dislikes but I do know that many people I've spoken to hate Super Pursuit Mode and some feel it damaged KR's credibility.

I thought it was a good addition to K.I.T.T. and it certainly didn't spoil it for me. Some people I've spoken to say that KR went downhill after adding the modification (in my opinion, it's usually plot or killing off a character that results in a shows downfall).

My personal opinion about KR and specifically K.I.T.T. is that it was a show where I could personally suspend my disbelief no problem. Compared to most shows, I had no problem suspending my disbelief even though half the things K.I.T.T. did were impossible. The people behind KR made it believable.

The other show I liked were Airwolf and Street Hawk. Airwolf also helped one suspend disbelief; Street Hawk was good but I couldn't suspend my disbelief as well (motorcycle hyperthrust through busy traffic).

So, did anyone else like Super Pursuit Mode? Is there anyone out there who also sucessfully suspended their disbelief when it came to the things K.I.T.T. could do?

Supersonic Lorry

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 4:54 am
by Knight2000
Probably. I hated it!

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 5:10 am
by Supersonic Lorry
Knight2000 wrote:Probably. I hated it!
Care to elaborate on that, old buddy?

Believe me, I value people's opinions and it would be boring if we all agreed on stuff but tell me why you hated it.

Supersonic Lorry

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 5:50 am
by KITTfan
I didn't like SPM mostly because those pop-outs ruined beautiful lines of the Trans-Am body. And the rocket looking tail especially was ugly in my opinion.
KITT looks aerodynamic and smooth in normal mode, all those popouts made him look like a exploded monster :lol:

-KITTfan-

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 5:53 am
by Supersonic Lorry
KITTfan wrote:I didn't like SPM mostly because those pop-outs ruined beautiful lines of the Trans-Am body. And the rocket looking tail especially was ugly in my opinion.
KITT looks aerodynamic and smooth in normal mode, all those popouts made him look like a exploded monster :lol:

-KITTfan-
An exploded monster? Hmmm, interesting although I haven't ever seen what an exploded monster looks like? :lol:

Supersonic Lorry

re: super pursuit mode

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 6:06 am
by seeker78
I didn't enjoy super pursuit mode either. I'm not an aeronautic or automotive engineer, but it seems that the extra protusions would cause KITT to be less aerodynamic. I think the single greatest annoyance of Knight Rider in terms of tech was the ability to run on water. Although in one of the Bond movies they have the car converting into a submarine and that looked more believable, ironically. Later... :-)

--Brian, 25 m Silicon Valley

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:31 am
by neps
Your not alone in your view Supersonic Larry. There are a few of us, myself included, that like SPM. But there are alot that don't. Most of them just find it to be a last ditch effort to save a dying series. Or that the visual nit-pickers notice that the shots of KITTs speedometer show him going at the same speeds pre and post SPM. Yes, it didn't make it the prettiest of cars, but that wasn't the point, it was there to help save the day. Style is secondary then.

http://bb.knightrideronline.com/viewtopic.php?t=930

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 8:04 am
by sarfraz
I liked SPM aswell. It seemed to serve a function of allowing more downforce at top speed, the rear section seemed to have the best theory behind it (top wind and diffuser plate) and I could see what they were trying to do with the front nose. Basically, in order for a wing to be effective, it needs to be some distance away from the main body (trust me, I have a degree in vehicle aerodynamics) but the it wasn't properly executed. In the end, if you want more downforce, you will create more drag which creates odd shapes....like Neil said, style was secondary. To be honest the style looked pretty good, it was just that the car ride height was a little too high making the car look like it was on stilts. If it was lowered, it wouldn't look too dissimilair to a Le-Mans or a touring car. Oh, and the bits that stick of the side of the car? well they are quite promonent on high-end sports cars that need extra intake/outlets for engine cooling, but look less obvious than SPM....like I said, theory was there, just less than great execution.

Sarfraz....reading too much into a TV car!

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:15 am
by K.I.T.T
SPM ruled!!! im one hell of a fan of it!! And with a good friend building one!! i will get the chance to ride in one!!

K.I.T.T

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:38 am
by neps
Yes, we know Nick. ;) Hopefully he is successful in making it more than just a neat trick, and that it actually helps "kick it up a notch" ™

What if KITT had the ability to fly? I was wondering this cause alot of the movies that take place in the future have the ability to fly, wouldn't this be a natural progression of KITTs features? Or a cheesy effect? Would they have to knock him out every time they wanted him to fly like BA from the A-Team?

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 12:02 pm
by Michael Pajaro
SPM? Hooray!
KITT flying? Boo!

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 12:20 pm
by Sith
neps wrote:
What if KITT had the ability to fly?
lol... I have a bizarre mental image of a cross between KITT and the Delorean from Back To The Future... :lol:

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 2:16 pm
by KITT
hey i liked SPM.. but once i started thinking about it, i began to not like it.. i mean, it's fun to watch the stuff pop out and all that, but he already goes that fast without SPM..
i just thought it was pointless.

KITT

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 2:58 pm
by CK
Wheeheeheeee!!! SPM rocks at night!!!!! :D:D:D

Cheri--SPM junkie

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 3:39 pm
by RailRoaderKnight
I think SPM was one of the greatest things every added on KITT. But i have to agree with KITT. In season 2 theres a couple of times where you see KITT go up to 300mph. But it was still cool to see him transform



-RRK-

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 3:59 pm
by RiderMistressK
I love SPM!! It's so cool to see all the pop-out things on KITT!!

~RMK

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 6:28 pm
by Supersonic Lorry
Well, finally I find some people who enjoyed Super Pursuit Mode.

A tip from me-don't analyze too much. Just enjoy. Suspend your disbelief. I could understand if K.I.T.T. started flying at Mach 9 or something whilst firing missiles but Super Pursuit Mode was realistic within the boundaries of TV.

Don't concern yourself with the aerodynamics or the technology. When you watch any TV show, you've got to push logic away slightly (although not entirely). You've got to abide by the TV world rules (a world where no-one seems to take their shoes off when entering a house or finishes a meal/drink) and not analyze too much.

Final tip-when watching KR, sit down with a glass of wine in your hands and not a notebook and pencil ready to nitpick. :wink:

Supersonic Lorry

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 6:33 pm
by dragonball1957
YO LORRY !!
I like SPM mode!!!
:shock:

:shock: im addictied to that crap yo . After all most ppl were interested about kitts speed . :shock:

I thought it was hot . even though the show was fast forward a bit . but who cares , even before they had SPM they did that . I think its awsome!

Im trying to record all episdoes from Sci-fi that has it .

as for the looks , i still think it looks cool . also it doent have to look real. ITS A SHOW! MAtrix aint real either.

THe only reason why the show ended was not because of SPM , it was money . THe show got too costly besides the high ratings

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 6:52 pm
by knightimmortal
Um, if you are going to say something that sounds like a fact, you might want to make sure that it is a fact.

The show did not have high ratings, in fact, the ratings started to decline in the 4th season.

They over-extended their budget because of SPM and Convertible mode, all high tech gadgetry that was actually unnecessary for the purpose stated.

But for the most part, NBC just pulled the plug.

Now, for my opinion, I didn't like SPM, because it looked remarkably corny. Duh, most of us know it wasn't real, but Matrix didn't have to speed up the film, and were a whole lot more careful about the 'speeding grannys' in the editing department.

In the fourth season, it looked more like they were trying to get off on the gadgetry rather than the storylines, which, lo and behold for a lot of you, it seemed to have worked. It looked ridiculous, it ruined the sweet lines of the Trans-Am, and it was an over-expensive gadget that made KITT look like he was starring in a slapstick cartoon.

KI

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:24 pm
by K.I.T.T
if KITT had not changed then SPM would be pointless??

K.I.T.T

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:27 pm
by whet
I loved SPM,
Kitt needed to be made faster, and it worked well I think.
Shame it wasen't in the show early, like season 3.
I would have liked to have seen it used a lot more!

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:46 pm
by Michael Pajaro
I understand how some people could think SPM looked silly, but it worked for me. And KITT as a convertible was SWEET. (ignoring the physics of the disappearing roof, of course.) And I really liked the EBS. I was disappointed whenever they would go back to cruise mode without skidding to an EBS halt.

I can't say I agree that season 4 was more about gadgetry. That seemed to be more of a season 2 "April's upgrade of the week" problem. Juggernaut was a FANTASTIC episode. SPM certainly didn't get in the way of the Scent of Roses plot. The weak episodes like Voo Doo Knight and Knight of the Rising Sun were bad on their own, not because of SPM.

One of the problems with SPM was the recycled footage of the transformation. I admit that became stale pretty quickly. Remember how refreshing it was to see the night time SPM and finally see a different sequence? It would have cost a lot more, but had they filmed more transformations I think SPM would have been better liked overall.

Mike

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:56 pm
by Michael Pajaro
I also have to wonder if SPM simply looks a bit dated to us almost 20 years later. When I first saw this picture, I thought it was the coolest...car...ever... Now that I'm a little older and wiser perhaps I can see that it does look a bit garish. But if you put the show in the context of the mid-80s when Transformers were big, SPM seemed to fit right in. Maybe SPM is like Michael's jeans: very cool at the time, but just not exactly timeless.

Image

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 8:08 pm
by nivek
I the ebs!
but what does it stand for?
does it stand for emergence baking system

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 8:09 pm
by Michael Pajaro
NBC made a big deal about spending a quarter-million-dollars to build the new KITT. That makes for great press releases, but it doesn't tell the entire story. It was a one-time expense, that if you spread out over the entire season only amounts to about $10,000 per episode. That money was easily made up for by having fewer elaborate stunts and turbo boosts in season 4.

Looking back, I think the money would have been better spent keeping KITT jumping and skiing and doing all those things we began to expect from a Knight Rider episode. Of course, that's easy to say now, but I can see how upgrading the car sounded like a good idea at the time.

Mike