Ertl 1:18 KITT new release?

[GarthKnight08]

Ive been seeing these all over ebay & they are alot different than the ones that have been out for years. For instance the engine bay has a new engine that looks like tuned port injection or some type of jet engine in it & the fog lights were replaced with the black louvers inserts. Now have i just been out of the loop & these have been around for awhile is this something new?

Here is the link...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ertl-KITT-Knight-Ri ... 240%3A1318

[KITTfan]

At first I would've said some of those pics are from the plastic modelkit but decided to check internet and some places have this model as a upcoming model available for pre-order, release date Jan-15th-2009. For instance:
http://www.asia-diffusion.com/new/figur ... rtl3210657
http://www.heo.com/artdetail.asp?artnr=ertl3210657
Also in ebay seems to have lots of KITT models now with normal pricetag so maybe this model really is back in production and perhaps with those changes?

[Just1Philly]

i bought it two years ago when the car show 07 came and hoping that i can found karr there also

[msKEN]

The problem with that is that Ertl no longer owns JoyRide. Reel Rides now has the license, so the box would definitely be different.

During December 2006, the Company made the decision to discontinue its Racing Champions®, JoyRide®, Ertl® and AMT® die-cast and model kit automotive collectible product lines that on a combined basis generated approximately $36 million in net sales in 2006 and approximately $60 million in net sales in 2005. Discontinuing the automotive collectible product lines is consistent with the Company’s strategy to focus on sustainable, organic growth and on allocating resources to its higher growth infant products and children’s toys categories.

As previously announced, the increased cost of zinc, which is a key component in diecast products, is expected to result in lower profit margins during the fourth quarter of 2006 compared with the fourth quarter of 2005. Increased zinc costs will likely continue to negatively impact margins in the first half of 2007. The Company intends to partially offset these increases with selective price increases in 2007 and continued product design and supply chain cost management efforts.

Source = http://www.hollywood-diecast.com/

[KITTfan]

The problem with that is that Ertl no longer owns JoyRide. Reel Rides now has the license, so the box would definitely be different.

During December 2006, the Company made the decision to discontinue its Racing Champions®, JoyRide®, Ertl® and AMT® die-cast and model kit automotive collectible product lines that on a combined basis generated approximately $36 million in net sales in 2006 and approximately $60 million in net sales in 2005. Discontinuing the automotive collectible product lines is consistent with the Company’s strategy to focus on sustainable, organic growth and on allocating resources to its higher growth infant products and children’s toys categories.

As previously announced, the increased cost of zinc, which is a key component in diecast products, is expected to result in lower profit margins during the fourth quarter of 2006 compared with the fourth quarter of 2005. Increased zinc costs will likely continue to negatively impact margins in the first half of 2007. The Company intends to partially offset these increases with selective price increases in 2007 and continued product design and supply chain cost management efforts.

Source = http://www.hollywood-diecast.com/

Thought that company called Autoworld had aquired the license for ERTL models:
http://www.autoworldslotcars.com/newsdetail.aspx?id=30

Checked also the Reel Rides and no KITT in their website, in fact not one single 1/18 models there, only smaller scale models. No KITT models in Autoworld site either though.
http://www.reelridesvip.com/products.php

It's interesting to see what kind of KITT model will be released.

[andy-kitt]

Looking at all the Knight Rider models on ebay, someone has either found a large lot of lost stock or they have started again.

[GarthKnight08]

These have to be new because ive been following these models since first released & know every variation & ive never come across these & like you guys said there is alot of them on there for a fair price.

[KITTfan]

Here's one of the many auctions:
http://cgi.ebay.com/KNIGHT-RIDER-KITT-T ... 7C294%3A50

This KITT model seems to have the same foglights the very 1st version had, the ones with more depth except this model have all clear lamps. Maybe it is the model that will be released next week?

After the orange foglamps were replaced with silver/clear ones in the original production run, they lost the depth and had black attachment dots in them which later disappeared but still didn't show depth like the original ones. In addition to the original 2004 version, I have this 3rd version KITT model gotten in 2007 and KARR model has these same foglamps too, all silver/clear but flat.

I guess the foglamps are the best way to recognize which version the model is.
Attached is a collage of different KITT model versions as far as I know, the last one being just a guess.

[andy-kitt]

Looks like they got it right at last, that is what they should have done first time.

[BlackKitt]

Jan 15 2009 what the hell, where did you get that photo?

[BlackKitt]

If any of you have the silver/white foglights with and without dots please post images, I need to know if they are real.

[andy-kitt]

If any of you have the silver/white foglights with and without dots please post images, I need to know if they are real.

They are real, the original version had clear lenses with silver backing and clear orange outers. People moaned about the orange outers, so they painted them silver from behind. This left black dots from where the lense was fixed to the body, so they redesigned the lamp fixings so that silver lenses where stuck to the body with nothing behind them.
comparison of the two

redesigned nose where new lenses just stuck on the outside

[KITTfan]

Thanks for posting the pic of inside of the redesigned nose, I've never taken apart my second KITT or KARR model so didn't know how they look like inside compared to the original, which I took apart.

To BlackKitt, the pics in my collage are real, they're from ebay auctions except the 3rd version pic which is from my second KITT model. My first KITT model I bought in 2004 and when it arrived it was exactly like the first model in the collage but later I've modified it so didn't put it in the collage.
Seems the ebay link I putted in my post has expired by now but here's another link where the pic are being used that I cropped the last KITT model from:
http://cgi.ebay.com/KNIGHT-RIDER-KITT-T ... 7C294%3A50

The version with black dots didn't seem to be available very long time, good thing they got rid of the ugly dots.

[msKEN]

Actually the new version that has popped up on ebay looks like a pilot/1st season model. (Unless its some kind of custom job but he was selling 40 of them when the auction started.)

It has a different fictional turbine engine, turn signal covers, fog light grills, and they fixed the rear glass to be correct like the real car instead of that stupid black frame around it. So apparently they released two versions.

[GarthKnight08]

Actually the new version that has popped up on ebay looks like a pilot/1st season model. (Unless its some kind of custom job but he was selling 40 of them when the auction started.)

It has a different fictional turbine engine, turn signal covers, fog light grills, and they fixed the rear glass to be correct like the real car instead of that stupid black frame around it. So apparently they released two versions.

Thats the one i was talking about when i started this thread, it has to be new & it sucks because i paid $150 for mine & that one is cooler & is only $40 bucks!

[BlackKitt]

Ok so now I have the dotted and undotted white fog lights and possible new grilled foglights to obtain. I have the original release with amber outer fog lights. Thanks for the dotted and undotted pic. That makes 4 additional versions, dotted fogs, undotted fogs, grilled fogs and all clear fogs(unconfirmed so far). I won't totally believe the grilled and all clear fog versions until I see real pics of them.

This image contradicts itself, it shows both all clear foglights and gives a view of the amber outer foglights too.

[KITTfan]

Oh man what a mess those ebay auction pics are, they seem to be mixture of various versions of the ERTL KITT and plastic model pics and who knows what. If someone in this forum purchases the new KITT model, I hope he/she will post pics of it here to confirm what kind of KITT model is being released this time.

[BlackKitt]

It's really pissing me off, they should have stuck with the production car and then labeled any other version like the pilot car "Kitt pilot version".

[BlackKitt]

This is the newest rerelease of Ertl KITT. I'm not gonna bother trying to get every single version that's too much of a hassle. My Aoshima/Skynet KITT has vents for foglights.

[andy-kitt]

This is the newest rerelease of Ertl KITT. I'm not gonna bother trying to get every single version that's too much of a hassle. My Aoshima/Skynet KITT has vents for foglights.

the 1:18 Aoshima? I thought that had 3 silver front lights?

[BlackKitt]

This is the newest rerelease of Ertl KITT. I'm not gonna bother trying to get every single version that's too much of a hassle. My Aoshima/Skynet KITT has vents for foglights.

the 1:18 Aoshima? I thought that had 3 silver front lights?

This one is 1:43 scale.

[andy-kitt]

oh, the 1:43, yeah that has a grille for KITT and 3 clear lamps for KARR.

[stelios_z28]

my opinion is that the ebay auction photos indicate a custon made 1/25 ertl plastic model but i don't know why!marketing trick maybe!!!also all i want to say for the 1/18 model is that iy is too ugly!!especially the nose!!!the only thing that i love in this model is the rims!!!

[Knight007]

I will try and get one of those for me

[imranbecks]

As I await for the arrival of my 1/18 Mustang KITT, here are some shots of my 1/18 original Trans Am KITT that I took an hour ago... Advertising the dvd's....