You know what? That thing was terrifying.
I absolutely loved Knight rider when I was a kid. I think it was the Matchbox/HotWheels collector that I was as a kid that made me love onscreen cars anyway, and there were a ton of iconic ones. From Starsky and Hutch’s signature car to the General Lee and the Munstermobile, I dug them all.
I’m not as into cars now as I was when I was a kid, which is either odd or normal. I don’t know.
But none were as iconic as Knight Rider. A nigh-indestructible black Trans Am that soared down the road, it was an instant favorite. But nothing made the show more entertaining when the nigh-indestructible became…destructible.
That was where a gigantic big rig named Goliath came in.
Pitting the relatively small and slender KITT up against the massive Goliath was the equivalent of television candy. It cemented itself in my head from the first viewing. As driven by Garthe Knight (you can tell he’s evil because of the mustache/soul patch and that superfluous E on the end of his name) Goliath was a rampaging engine of destruction, armed with missiles and a large metal grill and a roar like Godzilla as it plowed down the road.
I’ve recently started acquiring a small collection of Jada Toys 1/32nd scale figures. It’s a good scale for my needs; not so big as to take up too much room, but large enough to have a good presence. I spotted the KITT and picked it up. Then I saw that they were making a KARR—KITT’s evil quasi-twin, if a sentient car can be said to have a twin—and got that one as well. Having KITT and KARR together for the first time ever scratches and itch I’ve had for…well, don’t make me think about how long it’s been since Knight Rider debuted, but it’s long enough.
But as much as I could say my little Knight Rider Collection could be complete with just KITT and KARR…I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t love to death a Goliath to stand alongside them. Of course, that is a massive endeavor as befits a massive machine, so it probably won’t happen. But a man-child can dream.
In addition to Goliath, KITT has his bumper handed to him by another vehicle: Juggernaut.
Juggernaut was another oversized vehicle with a battering ram attached to the front that wrecked KITT. While not as visually impressive as Goliath (few things could ever top Goliath for sheer evil mechanical omnipotence) the Juggernaut looked convincing as a breaker of cars. Where Goliath was recognizable in its elements, Juggernaut felt like something you might see in the Mad Max universe. And anytime you can toss in some post-apocalyptic flavor into an existing universe the cool factor is ratcheted up about a bazillion times.
I rewatched Knight Rider a few years ago and was just as entertained as I was as a kid. And in that rewatch, the impression that Goliath and Juggernaut made on me was just as strong. It’s highly improbable for sure due to size and logistics, but if Jada Toys were to make them to accompany KITT and KARR, the inner child inside of me would be thrilled.
Hell, the outer adult in me would be thrilled as well.
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Source: Fwoosh
