It had been rumored for more than a year that Hot Wheels would be doing the Elite treatment for Knight Rider. Today we have our first official confirmation from the Nuremberg Toy Fair that things are moving along nicely, with a hopeful 2012 release.

It started with the HotwheelsElite twitter account teasing us with a view of a tall poster with Michael Knight and the phrase "Nobody Tells Me What To Do. Except My Car." with two display cases with silver KITTs inside.

Thankfully the site toycollector.com got a much closer look, and we get our first up close peak at these models. The models shown here are tooling models, but the attention to detail so far looks amazing! Can't wait to get our hands on these.

In addition to these two Elite models, we've been told that there will also be a 1:64th scale KITT for the 2012 Hot Wheels First Editions line. No specific release date or pricing has been released, however Hot Wheels Elite is saying that both the 1:18 and the 1:43 will be limited to 10,000 pieces.

[thanks to jjsocrazy and motor_head !]

If you've been itching to get your hand on these toonified creations from Minimates now finally is your chance. They've became available in your local comic shop recently, and from what we hear have been tough to keep in stock. Check out comic shop locator to find a retailer nearest you, or at a speciality store online. Remember that MSRP is $14.95, so be careful to not over pay.

Diamond Select Toys was kind enough to send us some of them our way for review, and boy are these items well done! Currently available is the SPM KITT with Michael in blue shirt, and KARR with Garthe Knight (the standard KITT with Michael in red shirt is a Toys R Us exclusive not released). While the scale does prevent them from replicating every exacting detail, there was a lot of little nice touches that made me smile. From little things like Michael Knight having his wrist comlink, to a pretty successful execution of a dash and upper and lower consoles. The cars themselves have working doors, while the figures are pretty posable, allowing you to bend them into any staged situation you wish. And while KARR and Garthe never teamed up in the series, you know that is where the writers were going to take it eventually!

There is some minor assembly required, primarily in applying decals. Be sure to give extra time and care when applying them in the interior due to the cramped working area.

For the diehard fan, or for the young kids at home, there is no reason not to buy this and enjoy. Hours of fun is about to be had, DST and Minimates have a great product on their hand, we can't wait to see what comes next.

We are giving away one SPM KITT with Michael Knight and one KARR with Garthe Knight to a lucky reader thanks to DST! Simply fill out the form below to enter.

We will be meeting up with Diamond Select Toys at the Toy Fair in NYC next month, where they plan to reveal some updates of their licenses including Knight Rider!

Glen Larson at a Knights of the West Coast car show, 2008

Not only does 2012 mark the 30th anniversary of Knight Rider, but also the 75th birthday of Glen A. Larson. By creating Knight Rider in the 1980s, he captured the imagination of the world, and empowered them to believe that one man can make a difference.

We would like to take a moment for fans like ourselves whom he inspired, to say "Happy Birthday!" and we look forward to what the ride has ahead.

Watch Glen A. Larson receive honors at Knight Rider Festival.

Starlog magazine ran this profile of him in 1997:

[Glen Larson's] greatest success was Knight Rider, which put Hasselhoff behind the wheel of K.I.T.T., a Pontiac Trans Am with a mind of its own...

Knight Rider appealed to Larson because it fulfilled a part of him that enjoys science fiction, particularly when it becomes science fact. "K.I.T.T. was the first car in America that had L.E.D. readouts on the dashboard," he notes proudly. "And it could also steer and brake itself. Now we're looking at automobiles that have radar-activated brakes and steering. So it's fun to contemplate where we can go. Many of the things we developed for K.I.T.T. were done by young designers who did work for Mattel and others. We didn't go to the usual Hollywood shops to design an interior. It's fun to stretch the envelope a bit, and we're doing that with NightMan, taking him beyond what has been done. It may not be on the shelf right now, but these are things humans could develop."

NBC revised Knight Rider several years ago in the TV movie pilot Knight Rider 2000, but Larson (who wasn't involved) was disappointed by the results. "They missed the point," he observes. "I don't think they understood the series or what made it work in the first place. They went off in the wrong direction. The audience was there, but the movie didn't appeal to them." The property is being reprised anew this fall as Team Knight Rider, and Larson hopes they do a better job this time.

Douglas Snauffer - Starlog, October 1997

Knight Rider collectibles are about to be brought to a whole new level, with an upcoming release by Minimates! Popular with collectors for their unique playfulness, they create products that are faithful to the spirt of the licence, while varying as needed for a 2" inch figure scale, appealing to the simple collector and fanboys alike.

We've been teased with images from their Knight Rider license prototypes for several months. They have just released some shots taken with the final production models. Gone is the matte finish, mold lines, and what we are left with is a slick product that we can't wait to get our hands on. In the gallery above, any images on the white background are from the original prototypes, while the city shots are final production items.

We spoke with Diamond Select Toys about them, and got some clarification on where you'll be able to obtain these. There will be three models will be available starting in January, but some may be harder to find than others:

1. Michael with red shirt and KITT at Toys R Us online and in store. This item is a TRU exclusive, and wont be able to be found elsewhere.
2. Michael with blue shirt and SPM KITT at comic shops, speciality stores and independent online retailers. SPM wont be able to convert to non-SPM mode.
3. Garthe and KARR also at comic shops, speciality stores and independent online retailers.

Minimates has other Knight Rider products in the pipeline (including a version with electronics), so if these items sell well - there will be more to come! We will let you know when we learn more.

It's that time of year again! Time to start planning your trip to Las Vegas for Knight Rider Festival IV, celebrating 30 years of Knight Rider. Once again, a block of discounted rooms has been set aside at The Golden Nugget Hotel. Make your reservation now - The Golden Nugget is at the heart of the activity for the weekend and it's a great place to stay.

The Knight Rider Festival takes place May 18-19, 2012.

Call the Golden Nugget Hotel at 1-800-634-3454
Book with the Las Vegas Star Cars group, code #1EH24D

As 2011 comes to a close, we just wanted to take a moment to hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and will have an enjoyable new year!

We wanted to apologize for the silence here as of late. As you are sure aware, sometimes life takes you to crazy places that force you to take some time away. And while we've been working on amazing things in our absence (that we'll soon one day be able to share), it was unfair of us to do so without warning.

For 2012, on the year of the 30th Anniversary of Knight Rider, exciting things will happen. Can't wait to share the ride with you.

With exactly a month to go until Knightcon 2011, it would appear that we somehow missed a very important piece of news coming out of the UK on August 18th.

Amongst the returning guests will be the delightful Michael Scheffe, and the beautiful and talented Rebecca Holden.

However, the big news is the first ever Knight Rider event appearance of Peter Parros, known to one and all as RC3!

In addition, the Knightcon Team have also announced a fourth special guest; Dirk Benedict of Battlestar Galactica and A-Team fame.

Robert Foster, Executive Producer on the original Knight Rider series, passed away from brain cancer last month. He was 72. Responsible for running the show for three and a half seasons, his direction was on of a small group that helped to define the memory that everyone thinks of "Knight Rider" today. He helped create such memorable characters as Goliath, and KARR, and writing many fan favorite episodes such as Hearts of Stone, Short Notice, Soul Survivor, Diamonds Aren't a Girl's Best Friend, Knight of the Drones and one of my favorites Knight of the Juggernaut (trailer below).

Donations are welcome in leu of flowers to Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah

Hollywood Reporter: TV Writer, Producer Robert Foster Dies at 72
Variety: TV producer Robert Foster dies at 73

David Hasselhoff went to Las Vegas for Knight Rider Festival II while taping his reality show "The Hasselhoffs". He drives around in KITT with Glen Larson, and jokes around with ex-wife Catherine Hickland. And of course, he is swarmed by fans.

Watch the video

The Knight Rider Festival returns to Las Vegas May 18-19, 2012.

David Hasselhoff was in Rosemead California today at a party celebrating the 85th anniversary of the California Mission Inn. This former Spanish Mission is now a beautiful full service senior retirement community and David's father Joe has been a resident there for the past 6 years.

The event featured a Roaring 20's Celebration with people dressed in period costumes. Hasselhoff wanted to do something special for the event, and he asked his bodyguard (also named Joe) to see if they could hold a car show. Joe called Jen Catano from Knights of the West Coast, who had three days to put everything together. There were about 17 cars in all, including Jen's own KITT. There was Bumblee from Transformers, Herbie, a Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am, and many classic cars as well.

The mayor spoke briefly to the residents and community friends, and then Hasselhoff took the stage with his dad. They essentially did a 5-minute stand-up routine, with David asking his father questions about living at the Mission. It was very funny, and more importantly David really put the focus on his Dad

Hasselhoff then went out by KITT to sign autographs and pose for photos with residents and guests.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment this week announced the availability of a new collection on DVD called "The Best of the 80s". These two disc packs will feature the best episodes from Magnum P.I., The A-Team, Miami Vice and Knight Rider.

They have not publically announced which episodes have been included, only letting us know that the first disc will have a running time of 3 Hours 5 Minutes, and the second of 4 Hours and 52 Minutes. It will be available on June 14, 2011. Which episodes do you think they'll include?

You can pre-order it now on Amazon for $13.49.

This weeks episode of ABC's show Castle featured both Mike Knight and RCIII in guest roles during an investigation in the death of a champion swimmer.

Justin Bruening (aka Mike Knight) played the couch of and Peter Parros (RCIII) played the doctor to the departed and were both questioned by Beckett and Castle - the show's main characters.

Unfortunately the two of them didn't share any screen time, so those fans looking for a generational Knight Rider collaboration will still have to wait.

If you are in the US you can watch this weeks episode on Hulu.

Producer Paul Casey's team has finished putting together the official video from Knight Rider Festival III! It is a slick production highlighting all the exciting happenings from the event. And you are able to watch it online for FREE.

If you were in Las Vegas, you'll be able to relive the weekend. If you couldn't make it to Vegas, you'll see all that you missed. Either way, it's sure to get you excited for next year's 30th anniversary celebration!

The amazing duo of Jason and Dan, better known as the gents behind The Shadowy Flight Podcast, have published their first video from Knight Rider Festival III. This three minute clip is beautifully shot and showcases just a bit of the video content they plan to share from their time at Knight Rider Festival III

Be sure to subscribe to them in iTunes or visit them online at their website.

Whew, after much editing here is some of our favorite photos from Knight Rider Festival III, Day One!

More of our favorites soon, but in the mean time you can check out these amazing galleries from the fans that took them.

• tamatt27
• Matt Sager
• KITT
• KFC Creator
• IHeartKITT
• Deceptikarr Attack Mode
• Randy Harmon
• Steve Fusco
• Ben Prins
• David Coblentz
• Alex Wong
• Nick Nugent
• Gary Hunter
• Cesar
• Richard's Gimble KITT
• Shadowy Flight
• Glen Wacker
• Compass Photography
• Jessica Hoskins