Opinion on scene from 'Ten Wheel Trouble'

[jup]

I just saw a scene that I don't recall (thanks to the DVD) from Ten Wheel Trouble. It's a throw away show of power at around 6 minutes in. But, brings up some interesting questions. Michael and KITT are in a traffic jam and Michael asks KITT to get out of it. KITT asks to drive. Michael claims that "it's against ALL Foundation regulations..." and I'm puzzled. While there are some sets of rules on the issue about needing pilot permission...WHY would it be completely against policy for KITT to drive when Michael is sitting there? I just don't get that...unless, it was a joke driving too hard upon the set of rules that had always been there. Or, maybe I have missed something about KITT's past behavior that warrented some stricter regulations.

Then...when KITT takes over, the K-2000 drives sideways...there's some sort of sound effect that MIGHT indicate turbine boost coming out the sides to pull this move off. (I had to review the scene to catch that...thinking that KITT had suddenly become a 4X4 with insane wheel turning radius.) It would help explain some of those incredibly tight turns done at high speeds.

Opinions on this scene, anyone?

[Knight-Armen]

Heh!!! YEAH!!! Isn't that strange!? All of a sudden Michael tells Kitt that it's "against all foundation regulations". What the hell!!! Kitt has been driving himself thousands of times and now it's against the foundation regulations? WIERD!!!
Also, when Kitt takes of at that traffic jam! What kind of a driving is that!!!!!!!! I've never seen a car move like that ever! I mean, if a car would move like that, then I guess all 4 tires are rotateble.

[rulloa81]

maybe it was against all foundation rules for KITT to turn his wheels at 45 degrees and drive side-ways in the middle of traffic.

[whet]

Also you have to wonder why he diden't do the same when they was stuck in traffic at the start of"the wrong crowd"

[Tony J Case]

Above and beyond the scene, I thought the whole episodes was poor. It was like a badly written A-Team episode, but without the goofy sense of fun or the over-the-top characters. I thought the whole thing was pretty much a train wreck - and this "comedy" scene was just one more thing to hate about it.

[Knight-Armen]

maybe it was against all foundation rules for KITT to turn his wheels at 45 degrees and drive side-ways in the middle of traffic.

But, how on earth can Kitt turn all his tires 45 degrees? Only trucks can do that!

[Knight2000]

I always thought that KITT needed MK's permission to drive, unless MK was in danger.

*thinks back to the Pilot*

KITT Michael is in no condition to be making decisions.
Devon KITT, I'm afraid so long as he is in the driver's seat and conscious, we have no choice.
KITT An absurd set of circumstances.

*hits head*

Just reread that Q.

Maybe KITT couldn't operate in built-up/congested areas in case he hurt someone (which is easy to do in a traffic jam/city)?

Who knows?

Will have to watch ep tonight

[Tony J Case]

But, how on earth can Kitt turn all his tires 45 degrees? Only trucks can do that!

So, you have no problem accepting that a bulletproof talking car can jump over a train and through a brick wall, but balk at the idea that it's tires to drive sideways?

I always thought that KITT needed MK's permission to drive, unless MK was in danger.

But what about all thoses "comedy bits" where Kitt drives away from a dog about to pee on him in a parking lot or whatever? Clearly he can drive whenever it suits him.

[Knight-Armen]

So, you have no problem accepting that a bulletproof talking car can jump over a train and through a brick wall, but balk at the idea that it's tires to drive sideways?

Come on!!! Listen to yourself!!! And by the way, who said that I have no problems accepting a bulletproof talking car to be able to jump over trains and ram into brick walls? Even you must know that they are using "ramps" when Kitt Turbo Boosts over the objects!

Second, I would be extremely surprised if you could find me a Trans Am with 4 tires that can drive side ways! Hah!!! Imagine the car at say 80 mph wanna make a quick turn! The whole car will just make an extreme overturn and result in flames!

And let me ask you another question, how do you know that the tires are driving sideways? You never get to see that? They are just shooting the interior whilst his taking Michael out of that traffic jam.

[FuzzieDice]

That quip from Michael didn't make sense to me either. Esp. when as mentioned, KITT just drived as he pleased. Like the time Bonnie, Devon and Michael (I think it was, I know Devon and Michael were there) at a restaurant and KITT decided to park himself. And he did so, tired smoking all the way - fast!

As for cars that maneuver oddly, there are/were some concept cars that could have all 4 tires turn independantly. A couple other cars could go "forward" in either direction so you didn't know if you were really in reverse or forward, as the engine/tires, etc. adjusted. But I don't think they had these thought of way back when that episode was written, or aired.

[Knight-Armen]

That quip from Michael didn't make sense to me either. Esp. when as mentioned, KITT just drived as he pleased. Like the time Bonnie, Devon and Michael (I think it was, I know Devon and Michael were there) at a restaurant and KITT decided to park himself. And he did so, tired smoking all the way - fast!

As for cars that maneuver oddly, there are/were some concept cars that could have all 4 tires turn independantly. A couple other cars could go "forward" in either direction so you didn't know if you were really in reverse or forward, as the engine/tires, etc. adjusted. But I don't think they had these thought of way back when that episode was written, or aired.

EXACTLY!!! That's what I'm trying to say! There might be some concept cars that can turn their tires independently as you say, but I seriously dubt that they had that kind of technology back in the 80's.
If I'm wrong, then why didn't they use this feature in the later episodes. They just used it once and after that we never saw Kitt move sideways like that ever again.
Personally, the type of vehicle I've seen move similar to that is trucks and busses. They use this feature in order to be able to move smoothly with that long cabin.

[Tony J Case]

Come on!!! Listen to yourself!!!

Wow, you should really cut out the caffeine. You'll die of a heart attack at this rate.

[LadyV2000]

As for cars that maneuver oddly, there are/were some concept cars that could have all 4 tires turn independantly.

The Jeep Hurricane Concept is one of them.



It can spin in a 360. Interesting stuff, but I don't think it can move sideways.

[James_kr]

if KITT turned his wheels completly sideways it would probably break something like the axel because it couldn't phiscally do that. That Jeep wouldn't move sideways because it wouldn't be possible.
With the turbo boosts you would all notice when the jump happens it sounds like a high pressure gas being released powerful enough to push them in the air and sometimes heard when michael hits the gas pedal hard it pushes them off.

[spyhunter]

It was basically just a joke, but kind of cool...

The thing that didn't make sense is, when you're in a jam, the hard part is getting ahead of the traffic, not getting out from between 2 cars...

A good driver leaves enough room ahead of them to get out in an emergency anyway... Besides, a jam usually moves very slowly, so all you do is wait about 2 seconds for the car ahead of you to pull up a bit and whala...

And did he drive in the ditch for miles after that? Unless KITT could fly over all of the traffic in front of them, they'd still be stuck...

They were also stuck in RACE FOR LIFE and KNIGHT SONG...

SH

[Knight2000]

I always thought that KITT needed MK's permission to drive, unless MK was in danger.

But what about all thoses "comedy bits" where Kitt drives away from a dog about to pee on him in a parking lot or whatever? Clearly he can drive whenever it suits him.

nah I meant whilst MK was in the car. You wouldn't want KITT taking control when you were meant to be in control!

[Knight-Armen]

Wow, you should really cut out the caffeine. You'll die of a heart attack at this rate.

I hate coffeé! I have never tasted it nor have I the attention of ever tasting it! And as for "You'll die of a heart attack at this rate", well I wish you'd die as well some time soon.

Go and buy yourself a neck...

[FuzzieDice]

Hey, guys, let's not get too upset here. We're all fans...

I watched that part last night and I was thinking something... What if KITT had special roller wheels or something that could come out from under the car and move it, then retract back in? But when I thought of that and looked at how the car moved again, I realized that in order to do that, the car would have to RAISE UP a little to get the tires off the ground or the tires would keep the car from moving by any other special rollers. And there was no sign of the car moving upwards, even a little bit.

I also thought that on a 3rd Gen (or any car for that matter), there isn't enough room in the wheel wells for a tire to move 90 degrees from it's normal position.

So yeah, basically impossible.

Unless, the car moved up wards only a fraction of an inch, not noticeable from the vantage point we are given, but enough to get the tires off the ground (wouldn't that show as an upward motion though since it takes a bit to get a tire off the ground - try jacking up a car sometime and see how long it takes before the tires get off the ground even a hair ) and maybe he had turbojet blowers that moved the car, like hovered it...?

So many theories I was thinking about but not one of them seemed to logically explain that little clip in the episode.

[Tony J Case]

Wow, you should really cut out the caffeine. You'll die of a heart attack at this rate.

I hate coffeé! I have never tasted it nor have I the attention of ever tasting it! And as for "You'll die of a heart attack at this rate", well I wish you'd die as well some time soon.

Go and buy yourself a neck...

Um, dude - you need to chill the hell out. Or do you just randomly attack strangers for no real good reason?

I watched that part last night and I was thinking something... What if KITT had special roller wheels or something that could come out from under the car and move it, then retract back in? But when I thought of that and looked at how the car moved again, I realized that in order to do that, the car would have to RAISE UP a little to get the tires off the ground or the tires would keep the car from moving by any other special rollers. And there was no sign of the car moving upwards, even a little bit.

Now that you mention it, I recall a short newsreel clip of "Cars Of The Future" - this of course being the future as envisioned from 35 years ago mind you - and actually they had something like that built into the Car Of The Future. It was designed to help parael park. It didnt go directly in/out at a 90 degree angle like the show - more of an arc. Point the nose of the car into the spot and the back swings in neat as a pin.

As you can guess, nothing came of it.

So I guess could buy the physics behind it, but I still think it's a poor "Komedy" bit in a pretty bad episode.

[James_kr]

what fuzziedice said sounded like a good conclusion and the guy who is on coffee yes you should chill I like the idea fuzzie dice had how there could be wheels that can extend and move sideways.

[Knight-Armen]

Um, dude - you need to chill the hell out. Or do you just randomly attack strangers for no real good reason?

Ehhh, attack? Do you really think I'm "attacking" you for no reason? You must have said something unpolite, for me to start atticking you and if you can think straight you would probably be able to figure out where you started being unpolite.

[Tony J Case]

Ehhh, attack? Do you really think I'm "attacking" you for no reason? You must have said something unpolite, for me to start atticking you and if you can think straight you would probably be able to figure out where you started being unpolite.

Whatever, man. If it makes you happy, live out your paranoid delusions that I'm being rude or insulting - or that you actually matter enough to me to get riled over. There's only one person overreacting here, and it aint me.

[James_kr]

ok should we conclude this thing about ten wheel trouble and lock the thread so this isn't a war zone.

[Lyn]

I think that scene is just plain funny......

[Knight-Armen]

Whatever, man. If it makes you happy, live out your paranoid delusions that I'm being rude or insulting - or that you actually matter enough to me to get riled over. There's only one person overreacting here, and it aint me.

Speak for yourself. I know exactly who's overreacting here. Now if you wanna do this little dance here for old time sake, hey... bring it!