The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass - io9 Comments

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

kurwinsky — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:09:51 PST

I'm in love with the Mach 5!

kurwinsky

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

mikewebb1514 — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:03:26 PST

I remember fondly watching Speed Racer back in the late 60's and early 70's. I was around 8 or so, and I'd watch it everyday after school over at a friend's house (They had a "new" color TV that got the required vhf station.) I think that show and Hotwheels got me interested in cars. The engine revving in the opening song still sounds great.

I thought that the guys from American Chopper loosely modeled their characters after Speed Racer. You have your Paul Sr. as Pops Racer and Paul Jr could be Speed. Vinnie was a Sparky type character and of course Mikey was both Spritle and Chim-Chim.

mikewebb1514

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Number_Six — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:04:19 PST

When I was a kid, Northern Ireland only had three TV channels and there was no Speed Racer. We got Hanna Barbera's Wacky Races.

Number_Six

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

TechnoDestructo — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:08:18 PST

How about Heat Vision?
[en.wikipedia.org]

Or C.A.R.R.?
[en.wikipedia.org]

TechnoDestructo

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

13thfloorelevator — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:22:20 PST

If I want a quality story about a boy and his car, I'll watch Vanishing Point...

13thfloorelevator

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Szin — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:45:30 PST

The New Adventures of Speed Racer cartoon opening was cheesy solid f'in GOLD!

But wow, was the Knight Rider movie that awful?

Szin

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Klebert L. Hall — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:30:37 PST

As for trivia, lets not forget that the show inspired a great DEVO song.
-Kle.

Klebert L. Hall

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Klebert L. Hall — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:29:58 PST

@Charles_Barrett:
I can't imagine how you could forget the violence - if it's a Japanese cartoon that isn't aimed at 6-year old girls, then it's all violence, all day.
-Kle.

Klebert L. Hall

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Capn_Marrrrk — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:23:11 PST

@Charles_Barrett:

Fuck yeah! I mean I just dropped an anvil on a coyote just last week, and was not aware of the mess it would make.

Capn_Marrrrk

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:15:02 PST

@Capn_Marrrrk: You know, I had forgotten about the violence in the oriiginal cartoon. I was a kid when this went on the air in SoCal; we kids had access to a black-and-white TV in a corner of the dining room (the good color Magnavox in the living room was off limits unless Mom and/or Dad were in there too).

Watching the opening clip above with the car flying off the track and exploding in a massive fireball reminded me of the violence. No wonder my generation is so screwed up... between Roadrunner cartoons, old Three Stooges episodes, and Speed Racer, life was pretty cheap...

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Jeff-Minor — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:53:33 PST

Doesn't Jeff Gordon remind you of Speed?

Jeff-Minor

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Capn_Marrrrk — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:19:56 PST

Let's not forget the incredible body count of Speed Racer.

The image of Racer X mowing down Yazuka with a Tommy Gun (and their subsequent grotesque Death Dance poses) are indelibly etched in my brain.

Capn_Marrrrk

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:17:08 PST

@Garrison Dean: Oh yes.

Kevin Kelly

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

sandmanfvr — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:13:39 PST

I never could get into speed racer. The movie looks interesting, but I probably will pass. I didn't see Knight Rider, but I will to see how bad it was/is.

sandmanfvr

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

ComicDork — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:59:48 PST

Actually watched 4 minutes of the Knight Rider and had to stop when I started vomiting blood through my eyeballs.

Actually it preserved that cherished 70's TV trick: shoot something once and just keep showing the same shot over and over again (the snake thingy on the grill). Val's voice didn't fit, apparently FORD has taken over the world in this show because every car was one.

SO Awful it made make Bionic Woman seem like 'The Wire'

ComicDork

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

IrisMR — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:44:00 PST

The New KITT's ass could be kicked by a beetle. :\

IrisMR

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

strider_mt2k — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:27:22 PST

Not my Alphabet Buttons!

strider_mt2k

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:27:00 PST

@Kevin Kelly: Sure, why not... could they do worse?

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

The_Real_Quiet_Desperation — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:25:57 PST

Oh, was Night Rider on? Huh. I decided not to watch it when i saw the first publicity shot of the new Michael Knight and I said, "Why does he look 12 years old?" Hell, I own a Mustang GT and still had no interest in the show even for that. Who needs to look at one when I can just go drive mine?

The_Real_Quiet_Desperation

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:11:57 PST

@Garrison Dean: Are you trying to give NBC ideas?!

Kevin Kelly

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

BigViper — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:11:15 PST

the mach 5 hands down, and what was with that two hour ford commercial last night?

BigViper

The Mach 5 Could Kick K.I.T.T.'s Ass

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:08:49 PST

For the record, Herbie could kick the new KITT's ass.

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege