Photos: Original Kitt: NBCU Photo Bank; Batpod: Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Pictures; Mach 6: Warner Bros. Pictures *
Illustration: Charles Wilkin * Heroes are only as good as their rides. Think of James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 (ejector seat!). Wonder Woman's invisible jet (stealth!). Roy Rogers' Trigger (skinned!). So it's no surprise that as Hollywood "reimagines" various action heroes, their vehicles get overhauled, too. They have to keep pace with the state of the art in fanciful awesomeness ... and maybe sell a few toys. Here's a look at the power-ups for the 2008 model line.
1) Knight Rider
1982: KITT
Superpowers: Flamethrowers and tear gas launcher rain computerized fury on members of Devon's shit list. Turbo boost!
Alter ego: 1982 Pontiac Trans Am — a classic.
2008: KITT
Superpowers: The oscillating red Cylon scan strip returns. The vehicular robot shape-shifts Transformer-style into a lower, angrier attack mode. It hacks computers, is impervious to conventional munitions, and fires lasers. Most important, KITT speaks with the voice of Val Kilmer. Nobody feels the need for speed like Iceman (except for Goose ... poor, poor Goose).
Alter ego: Unfortunately, Pontiac ditched the Trans Am in 2002 (sniffle), so Knight Industries had to create its new overclocked crime-fighter out of a 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR.
2) The Dark Knight
1966: The Batcycle
Superpowers: Er ... the detachable sidecar for Robin? Wing-shaped fairings?
Alter ego: The Caped Crusader's go-to bike was actually a batted-out 1966 Yamaha Catalina 250.
2008: The Batpod
Superpowers: Twin machine guns and massive wheels with growling engines in the hubs. Self-righting, thanks to an onboard gyroscope. Suspension lowers Batman behind the tires for cover. "The thing needs to feel tough," production designer Nathan Crowley says. "You've got to feel like you could crash it, and it would survive."
Alter ego: None, but seven Batpods do exist: four flat-out racers, one that does the lowering trick, a tracking vehicle for close-ups, and the super-skidder from the movie's trailer. Only one stuntman in the world can drive them.
3) Speed Racer
1966: Mach 5
Superpowers: Hydraulic jacks for sweet jumps, whirling saw blades, and a robot homing pigeon.
Alter ego: None, but its cartoon curves resemble those of a 1960s Corvette.
2008: Mach 6
Superpowers: T180 steering lets every wheel move independently. "We used that to create a new look for drifting," says the film's visual effects supervisor John Gaeta. "A super-drift, if you will." Plus, the spinning saw blades and jacks are back, along with all the Mach 5's onboard accoutrements: tire crampons, bulletproof cockpit and wheel shields. They enable the extreme-sports-style vehicle-to-vehicle combat that Gaeta's team calls car-fu.
Alter ego: Nada. The Mach 6 exists only inside the Wachowski brothers' digital render garage.
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