1/18 Die Cast KITT Coming In December

imranbecks · Post by **imranbecks** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:40 pm

Skav wrote:I noticed the silver strip around the windscreen too, Sarfraz, but not sure whether it's just light effect.

We'll havta see more pics to make sure.

also, i turned up the contrast on my monitor and never noticed the TA logo, which is there, on the side of the car, on the black part just to the back of the seat.

Take it easy guys.... Anyway, abt the silver strip around the windscreen, I don't think it is light effect. Those same silver strip can also be seen in this pic >>> http://www.scale18.com/cgi-bin/album?na ... s04&pic=88 It clearly looks painted..

I just realised another thing, the positions of the logo and words on the ERTL KITT is similar to that of the ERTL 1:18 Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am...

HondaSiR · Post by **HondaSiR** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 12:06 am

imranbecks wrote:Take it easy guys.... Anyway, abt the silver strip around the windscreen, I don't think it is light effect. Those same silver strip can also be seen in this pic >>> http://www.scale18.com/cgi-bin/album?na ... s04&pic=88 It clearly looks painted..

I just realised another thing, the positions of the logo and words on the ERTL KITT is similar to that of the ERTL 1:18 Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am...

Damn, they do look like painted on silver stripes. Hopefully they are just light reflections as suggested earlier. And the logos? It's probably just a production coincidence since the real 3rd generation Firebirds had them as well as the 2nd generation.

Since I am a modeler with moderate skills, I can probably deal with the silver stripe, orange foglight, and white tire letterings. What bugs me is what if the Trans Am badgings are painted on instead of being just stickers? It will definitely not rub off easily and if it does, it will definitely ruin the black paint job. Oh man...

Skav · Post by **Skav** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 6:18 am

Nah, that's defo a silver strip going round the windscreen...look around the headlights....they just duplicated what was there, round the screen.

stupid.

i have just checked my 1.18 smokey and the bandit and it DOES have that silver strip round the screen and headlights...exactly the same car, however, the lighting on the pic does exaggerate it. but it's still there.

sarfraz · Post by **sarfraz** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:39 am

theknightrider wrote:
sarfraz wrote:
If you have been wanting this model all your life then wouldn't you want the best???

Sarfraz
Nah actually I'm just "THANKFUL" its being made myself.

...I was only qouting what DanielB said....anyway, yes I'm thankful but it doesn't mean we must accept below standard goods.

Sarfraz

imranbecks · Post by **imranbecks** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:07 am

Aoshima is the way to go guys!!!!

themarvelous3 · Post by **themarvelous3** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 3:46 pm

Skav wrote:Nah, that's defo a silver strip going round the windscreen...look around the headlights....they just duplicated what was there, round the screen.

stupid.

i have just checked my 1.18 smokey and the bandit and it DOES have that silver strip round the screen and headlights...exactly the same car, however, the lighting on the pic does exaggerate it. but it's still there. :(

anyone ever consider that maybe they just stuck a standard TA in the Knight Rider packaging to show of the package? the pictures of the actual car dont seem to have any silver line painted on them. i didnt notice emblems on that car either. i'd say they only had the prototype which was out at car shows and they wanted something in the box to show off the BOX.

knightrider2004 · Post by **knightrider2004** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 4:05 pm

is this car available 2 buy at any store?

MEXICAN KNIGHT · Post by **MEXICAN KNIGHT** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:16 pm

Does anybody here went to Chicago´s Hobby Expo 2004?, maybe someone who was there could answer a lot of these questions.

PBH · Post by **PBH** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:40 pm

In many ways, I'll have to agree with DanielB. Let's take the Knight Rider Season 1 cover art thread (US) for example.

Each time they made an error, we jumped on the producers & some comments were a bit much. As soon as we saw that they rectified the errors, suddenly everyone felt the producers were magnificent. It’s fine to have some criticism, but there is a point where some comments are simply too much. In the end, not one person here knows what the final product will be. Once we know, then we can make judgements in a dignified way.

I too am hopeful that the final version will be more accurate that photos that have been released. As I have posted a few times in this thread alone, I HATE THE AMBER LENSES!!! My biggest beef with Ertl is that they have not answered to a single fan here (that I’m aware of). I mean, if they’re making this car, wouldn’t they want to get feedback from the DIRECT target market?

In the end, both sides have points. Only after the fact will any of these points be validated. Also remember, despite what Ertl tells us, it is their mold that is making any of this possible from either company. So if for nothing else, we should have lots of gratitude for that alone.

corlando52 · Post by **corlando52** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:34 pm

MEXICAN KNIGHT wrote:Does anybody here went to Chicago´s Hobby Expo 2004?, maybe someone who was there could answer a lot of these questions.

OK, Everyone, listen up. I wrote to the product manager at Ertl. My friend who went to the Chicago show met her and gave me her email address.
If you read my prior post, you know I asked about the Aoshima and Ertl KITT models. Here is her reply:

Hello Christopher!

The models you are referring to are identically releases. They will be shipped into worldwide markets.

If you have any questions please let me know

So that, as they say, is that. Of course, I had to ask more questions, since she was nice enought to leave that door open:

Thank you so much for you speedy reply. It's nice to know you took the time to answer my question. You have no idea how much debate has been going on about the KITT model.

I do have other questions, if it's ok.

- Do you have an official release date for KITT? (I've already pre-ordered mine)

- There are some differences between the Aoshima car shown at the Japanese Hobby Show and the Ertl cars shown at the Chicago and Las Vegas Shows, most notably:

--The Ertl KITT has two amber fog lights (one on each side) and four clear (white) in the front, the Aoshima has the more accurate all six clear fog lights. Which will be on the final release?

--The Ertl KITT shows a decal that says "TransAm" on the fender behind the front wheels, the Aoshima, again more accurately, does not. Which will be the final product?

- Frank Bonilla said he saw a poster at the show that said Knight Rider and it had 2 dates on it. Are you planning any other Knight Rider related toys/cars?

Thank you again for your time.

Sincerely,

Christopher Orlando

member:
- Knight Rider Online
- Knight Registries
- Knight Foundation

As usual, I will post any information here...

Chris

HondaSiR · Post by **HondaSiR** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:55 pm

Well I guess this is the point where we all have to stop and wait for the actual product to fall into our hands. I have no doubt that the ERTL will make it to my area, but the Aoshima? It's really a long shot. Although I would really prefer the Aoshima over the ERTL, I will probably end up with the ERTL since it will definitely be marketed here through hobby stores. I just cannot afford the shipping expenses of the Aoshima.

Let's now rest from our bickerings guys. In the end, we are all winners regardless of what we purchase.

imranbecks · Post by **imranbecks** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:09 am

It looks like more people are ordering KARR from HLJ instead of KITT because HLJ have already stopped taking preorders for the 1:18 KARR at the site>> http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljpage.cgi?AOS07325

Really strange because I thought KITT wld be the most popular among the two. I think more people are getting the ERTL KITT from somewhere else and also getting the 1:18 KARR from HLJ..... hmmm...

Skav · Post by **Skav** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 6:35 am

I'm getting both off ebay, no matter what.

DanielB · Post by **DanielB** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:38 am

HondaSiR wrote:Let's now rest from our bickerings guys. In the end, we are all winners regardless of what we purchase.

Amen!

Chris - good news on the e-mail front. I look forward to the response.

corlando52 · Post by **corlando52** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:32 pm

Here's the final word from the products manager at ERTL. To summarize:
The ERTL and AOSHIMA cars are exactly the same car: the ERTL cars you have seen on the Internet and at the Las Vegas and Chicago Shows were early prototypes and will have the correct fog lights and the TransAm decal with not be on the final KITT.

Here's her reply:

The KITT car should be available in stores in December. You can check TRU, Walmart and Kmart stores.

The samples that were shown in Chicago and Las Vegas were early decorated samples, not production pieces. The fog lights and Trans Am deco will be corrected before production.

The KITT car is the only one we are producing at this time, we are checking into producing KARR later in 2005.

Thanks

And here's my last message to her:

Thank you for clearing everything up for us. Again, I want to extend our appreciation to Ertl for this fine reproduction of KITT. In fact, the only thing we can find fault with at all on it is the raised white lettering on the tires (KITT's tires were all black), but that's a minor point.

Please extend our thanks to all involved in making KITT, and thank you again for your time.

Christopher Orlando

DanielB · Post by **DanielB** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:25 pm

Superb. Really can't wait - even more so now!

I'm getting exactly what those who have placed pre-orders for the Jap version will be getting at a fraction of the cost!

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:38 pm

Not necessarily. Same mold, but both cars will still be different from one another in some ways.

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:48 pm

Right now, I'm leaning towards getting both models from Aoshima because they will be consistent with one another in terms of detailing. I want to buy K.A.R.R., and since only Aoshima is making one right now, I'd like it better being consistent with K.I.T.T. from the same company.

According to the response from Ertl, they plan on having their own version of KARR coming out later in 2005...I really don't feel like waiting until then. Once Ertl's KITT comes out, we can of course nitpick and judge it fairly, being that it will be the final product, and we should also know exactly how their version of KARR will come out and whether the quality will be good enough for fans to want to wait until 2005.

corlando52 · Post by **corlando52** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:51 pm

Dude,
They're the same car. ERTL isn't shipping the cars out unpainted or unfinished in any way. Aoshima is just sticking them in their own boxes. In fact, THAT might not even be the case. The reason that Aoshima is more expensive is that THEY have to pay overseas postage and duties to IMPORT the Ertl cars. The extra cost gets added onto their consumer's price. If you are lucky enough to live in the same country as ERTL, you don't have to pay that additional postage/duties price.
So what's happening is, if you live in the US, you are paying Aoshima to Import the Ertl car into Japan, and then paying additional postage to Export it back to the US. The only one making out on that deal is the Post Office.

Chris

PBH · Post by **PBH** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:17 pm

NO AMBER?!?!? YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy this person from Ertl was nice enough to take the time to reply!

Skav · Post by **Skav** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 6:23 pm

Good, good...ertl it is then, for me, for the price, obviously.

OKC KNIGHT · Post by **OKC KNIGHT** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:30 pm

And for those who don't know what tru is,It's a abbreviation for toys r us.But i would go to wal-mart or k-mart there prices are cheaper than toys r us.Probably around $25-30+tax for the kitt car.

themarvelous3 · Post by **themarvelous3** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:11 pm

of course you all realize that those of us who said "be patient, this is just a protoype, the ERTYL will be the exact same as the Aoshwhatever model" are now sitting back, chuckling slightly and shaking our heads at those who just wasted 12 pages on dogging ERTYLs "mistakes" and claiming that you'd never buy from them.

of course, i think it might be funnier that some of you were so upset that you already preordered the Japan "version" for more money and now wont be getting anything better or different. but we still love you : )

in short.

i told you so.

Lost Knight · Post by **Lost Knight** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 12:22 am

I'm still waiting for everything to come out and hear people's comments on the final products to see exactly how everything turned out.

HondaSiR · Post by **HondaSiR** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 12:31 am

Well that settles everything, all of us will definitely have a happy ending. I have a hunch that if Aoshima didn't come up with those pics, ERTL would still have pushed through with their amber lens version of KITT. At least they have taken notice and have corrected it. Cheers to all the people who have posted the pics and the discussions in this board, we all may have played a huge part in correcting their mistake!

1/18 Die Cast KITT Coming In December

An answer directly from Ertl

Same car, with corrections

Same car

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