TV: Breaking News! GOB Out, Iceman in as New Voice of KITT for NBC's Knight Rider Remake

Arnett responds to the loss of the prized role of KITT...

In a conundrum worthy of his previous TV show Arrested Development, Will Arnett has had to drop the role of the voice of the talking car KITT on the new version of NBC's 80s cheesefest Knight Rider. The role will now be taken by Val Kilmer (!), himself no stranger to the 80s and/or cheese.

It turns out Arnett's automotive vocal talents were already spoken for -- by General Motor's GMC Trucks division. With Knight Rider now aligned with Ford (KITT is a Mustang now -- Pontiac no longer makes the Trans Am) it wouldn't do to have Arnett's distinct gravelly tones adorn a product with a competitor's logo.

Arnett had already wrapped his work on Knight Rider.

How's Kilmer's Voice? This cheesy, 80s scene from the underappreciated Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker comedy Top Secret has the answer:


Also, here's the intro for the original Knight Rider...in German! Dig the Nietzscheian sound of "...ein auto, ein komputer, ein mann..." And yes, series creator Glen A. Larson's theme song is one of the best TV themes ever. As friend-of-the-blog Joni pointed out, with this voiceover it sounds like a Kraftwerk song!

Design: A Conversation with Ian Callum

Ian Callum with his personal ride: a custom '32 Ford hot rod...

I was lucky enough to be present at an early preview look at Jaguar's new XF last night in the courtyard of an old New York City mansion on Madison Avenue. The XF looked brilliant in an icy blue tone and spoked 19-inch wheels. The first impression is a bit Lexus-like but this is rapidly dispelled by the thoughtful detailing and distinctive front end. Most impressive is the fantastic interior which is filled with special touches like the red glowing starter button that pulses with a "heartbeat", vents that swing to open upon start up, and a cool shifter that rises from the console.

I was able to chat with Jaguar's chief designer, the legendary Ian Callum, one on one about design and the future of Jaguar. Callum is a lean and gentlemanly Scotsman with intense blue eyes and a very dry sense of humor. When I approached him he was in the midst of telling a fellow journalist that the XF's hood was designed to accommodate retro-active fitment of the "leaping cat" mascot. At least I think he was kidding on that one. When asked what he wasn't allowed to do with the car, he averred that he would have liked to fit 22-inch wheels. "Why?" asked one man. Callum grinned and waved dismissively,"It's a boy's thing..."

Callum was very passionate about what he believes a design should embody. Showing me the gently undulating shoulderline of the XF he remarked on how difficult it can be to achieve simplicity. I remarked that like Chris Bangle at BMW, Jag was betting on forward-looking designs to make an impact in the market. Callum readily agreed but pointed out that he is a very different designer to bangle, whom he likes. "My designs are more about beauty while what he's done with BMW has been about shock." Indeed, though the XF is far from retro, there is a classicism about the design and the designer.

I asked him about the future of Jaguar and of current parent company Ford now that Jaguar and Range Rover are up for sale. Callum seems optimistic that whoever the new buyer turn out to be, they will embrace the design-led turnaround Jaguar has in mind and invest in the new products it so desperately needs. He says the Ford CEO Alan Mullaly's strategy seems to be to build Lincoln up into a global luxury brand. "It's a shame", he said ruefully, "They had (former Lincoln designer) Gerry McGovern there with a new design language for them in the late 90's and they just let it go."

Overall Callum seems excited by the future at Jaguar, and hinted at something "different" to replace the X-Type at a similar price point. He pointed out that small is a virtue in Europe and Jaguar would do well not to let that part of the market slip by. Small may also be a virtue in the luxury car market as lone-wolf BMW has shown. It will be exciting to see Callum's new design language for Jaguar spread out to the rest of the range.

Art and Design: Frankfurt 2007 -- Ford Gets Small

Ford of Europe has been on a design roll of late -- too bad most of these aren't slated for North America. The Ford Kuga is a "near" -production small crossover -- a hot market in Europe. There will probably be some small tweaks here and there before it actually starts rolling out of the factory. Lets hope they don't change too much as the cringeworthy name is the worst thing going for them.

The Kuga has a nearly perfect front end, everything from the shape of the headlights to the integrated small air intakes to the upper and lower grille shapes are well thought-out and detailed. The overall form shapes are perfectly rendered from the shapely wheel openings to the flowing line that extends from above the headlamps to define a front fender, meeting the shoulderline which runs into the taillamps. The roof and greenhouse are a bit BMW-like but are very well proportioned.

Though the lines around the back glass and side quarter windows are aesthetically pleasing, they are bound to create large blindspots for the driver. From the rear the sculpting of the rear hatch and integration of the bumper into the dropped shoulder line can be admired.

Ford is also showing another vehicle which will lead to a related production version -- though in this case the resemblance may be more thematic. Ford's Verve concept is meant to give hints for the shape of their next small Fiesta:

The surfacing is top-notch, particularly the expressive wheel arches and side sculpting. The side glass profile is perfectly echoed in the back glass sweep and the high mounted taillamps avoid cliche. In all likelihood the pillarless sideglass would be the first thing to be modified for production due to cost.

The front view is even more dramatic, with radically tapered headlamps, a tiny mustache like center grille and a large hungry crate-style grille below. The transition of the tapering body line into the front bumper is especially well handled, as is the sweep of the radical rear wheel arch into the lower body. This is good stuff and shows why Ford CEO Alan Mullaly is eager to bring some of this design flair to US Ford products.