It's sabotage, Michael, I'm positive. Who?
I killed John, just as sure as if I shot him. Wait a minute.
He knew what could happen when he got behind the wheel.
Well, it could happen to you next.
An explosive device set to blow...
the moment you lose motion.
Michael, bail out.
And whoever was behind it tried to kill me.
You mean, the Flyer was sabotaged during the race by a gunman?
Knight Rider...
a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man...
who does not exist.
Michael Knight, a young loner...
on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent...
the helpless, the powerless...
in a world of criminals who operate above the law.
Leading the race is John Bender in the Thomas Flyer.
Way to go, John! Fuel consumption's looking real good!
Stretch it out! Stretch it out!
This is the one, Dad! Yeah, sure is!
Told you I was going to change your luck!
Yeah, it was a long time coming!
He does a great job of driving.
He's overcome a lot of bad luck.
He's pulling away!
There's no stopping him now!
Now leading after 184 laps, John Bender in the Thomas Flyer.
Bender is starting to hug the field as he gets into some heavy traffic.
Hang on, he's sliding. He's hit the wall.
You see, there's just no reason for the crash.
Elena was my closest friend in college.
Devon, she's the best engineer I know.
And nothing she designed would just lose control like that.
Granted, it seems unlikely, Bonnie.
But what do you want me to do?
Lend me Michael.
He can get to the bottom of this.
I'd be willing to go, Devon. I'll cover for Michael till he gets there.
No. Michael is needed in Cincinnati...
the Palmerston affair.
Not until Monday.
Devon, their entire life work is at stake.
This is the first real chance they've had since Mac's accident.
Who else was the Foundation created to serve, if not them?
She's got a point there, boss.
I mean, from everything that Bonnie has told me...
it sounds like something weird's been going down.
They're victims, Devon, they need our help. They deserve it.
36 hours.
Attaboy, boss. You knew all along you were going to give in.
Reginald.
You are just a righteous dude at heart.
Reginald. You shouldn't be so into hiding it.
Reginald! Spare me!
Michael, these videos are a complete waste of time.
Come on, KITT, they got everything.
They got rhythm, drama, excitement...
pretty girls.
Remember, "music hath the charms to soothe the savage breast."
Come on, pal, take a look.
I'm not only looking, Michael, I'm showing it. Very soothing.
Come on, loosen up. Get into it. Feel the beat. Yeah!
If I keep feeling that beat, I won't just loosen up, I'll fall apart.
No way! You're uni-welded. You can take it.
But I don't want it.
Yeah!
Hey! Devon's calling, Michael.
And if you ask me, not a moment too soon.
Everybody's a critic these days.
Hello, Devon, what's up?
Bonnie needs your help, Michael.
She's on her way to meet you at Il Cavallino, a restaurant on Route 14.
Well, I guess we're on our way.
What's our ETA to Il Cavallino, pal?
12.36 minutes, Michael.
Racer's luck or driver error, goes with the job.
It's not just the crash, Michael.
It's just that Mac and Elena are cursed.
All season long things have been fouling up.
A backup engine just disappears.
Transmissions that are suddenly dry...
bolts unscrewing themselves.
It's sabotage, Michael, I'm positive.
Who?
I don't know.
Another team.
Somebody with a grudge.
That's what I need you to find out.
They're racing the backup car at Riverside tomorrow. I'd like you to join them.
Find out what happened and protect them.
All right. KITT and I'll check it out.
If it is sabotage, we'll get to the bottom of it.
But if it's not, and your buddy Elena screwed up...
if it's faulty engineering, I got to be honest with you...
no matter who it hurts.
What Elena doesn't know about race car design hasn't been invented.
She didn't screw up.
Steve. You got a second?
For you, always.
Trouble is, lately that's all you ever have for me.
Steve, it's over. That's the way it's got to be.
Come back and drive for us.
You know I got a deal with Altfield.
What you've got is a handshake.
Besides, Wayne said that it was okay for me to talk to you.
So make me an offer. Altfield's talking $300,000 a year.
Since you guys gave me my first ride, I'll do it for $250,000.
Steve, if we don't finish near the top here our sponsor will bail out.
Did I miss something or what?
I mean, did you offer me the $250,000?
You know we can't go that high.
Every cent's tied up in our cars.
I'm asking you for your help.
Listen, driving has always been a mix...
of business and pleasure with me, Lenie, you know that.
Trouble is, honey, I don't see this paying off either way.
Don't put it on that basis, Steve. Please.
That paint job would stun a blind man at 50 paces.
Come on, pal, racing's a colorful sport.
It's all a part of the spectacle.
Well, I have no intention of ever becoming one.
It was Henry Ford who said, "Any color, as long as it's black. "
And I agree. Elegant, quiet, basic black.
Speaking of quiet, I think we're more likely to fall into some useful information...
if we don't blow in like a hurricane, all right?
Low profile.
You know me, Michael.
Compared to these rolling billboards, I'll be the soul of discretion.
Well, is she having any luck?
She's real persuasive, Mr. Altfield, but...
I guess I'm still driving for you.
Oh, come on, honey, you can't expect the boy...
to give up a good ride to go with us.
Dad.
Now, you know I kid about this all the time...
but if you two are serious about staying competitive...
you could do a lot worse than coming in with me.
Oh, come on, Wayne, we've gone over this all before.
Altfield and Thomas racing.
It'd be kind of like a...
well, like a family affair, huh, Lenie?
Wayne, I'm an independent, you know that.
I know, I know. I know it's just a dream, I understand that.
Still, if you want a driver...
I'll see if I can find somebody who wants a ride.
I'm looking for a ride.
Miss Thomas. Who are you?
Name's Michael Knight.
Looking for a driver, aren't you?
I've never heard of you.
Where have you raced?
Here and there. Famous track, here and there.
Son, we need an experienced, open wheel racer, not a rookie.
I know that, sir. What's the track record here?
131.5.
What if I hit 120? Will you give me a shot?
That's a pretty bold offer, son.
You know, I kind of like it.
Dad! Put an unknown behind the wheel of a $200,000 race car?
It's the only one we have. It's crazy.
Do you even have your ticket? Of course I got my ticket.
I'll show it to you right after I complete the lap...
in my T-top.
Oh, come on, Mr. Knight...
All right, honey, honey. I still run this here team.
Come here.
You know, her objection makes sense.
Being an underdog, I feel sympathy for a fellow canine.
But, son...
if you can do a lap...
at, say, 117, 120 in that...
you got yourself a deal.
Every dog has his day. Something tells me today is ours.
Thank you.
All right! Tires at optimum temperature.
Guess we're ready for a hot lap, huh?
A hot lap?
Michael, I can run a lap twice as fast as those cars...
with one wheel tied behind my axle.
You know that, and I know that...
but we don't want to look too good here.
Remember, low profile.
Yes, Michael.
Giving that boy a try, hey, Mac? Yeah.
What's he got? Nothing.
Nothing but confidence.
How you coming on my competition license?
I've already inserted your name in the card computer.
I want it a hard copy.
I'm imprinting the official seal now, Michael.
Hey! Voilà!
Thank you very much.
Yeah! I haven't seen a drive like that since we were kids.
Nice, KITT. Real nice.
Boy, have you got yourself a driver.
And what a driver!
Elena, qualifying ends in two hours. Now, are we ready?
I'm trying the best I can, Dad.
What's the matter? I could use an extra pair of hands.
Wayne? Hmm.
You know how you always offer when I need it?
Have you got a spare mechanic?
Why, sure. I can let you have Alfie Girdler.
Oh, great! Great, ol' buddy, thanks! Oh, come on, will you?
What? We're all family, aren't we?
Come on!
Son...
I want to tell you something, I am impressed.
Thank you very much, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Yeah, that's pretty good for a solo run.
What do you mean, pretty good? That was real good.
Hey! We got ourselves a driver.
Do you care to make it unanimous?
I think we're all forgetting something.
My ticket?
Come on! This is going to take a team effort, isn't it?
My.
Hello?
Yes, he is.
Hold on.
It's for you.
He says he's a client.
Yes?
Yes, I heard from my Swiss friend.
He tells me you deposited another $10,000.
What's that, a bonus?
Sure, I can use more work. Living on water is expensive...
and gets boring.
He's got a name?
K-N-I...
G-H-T.
That's my technique.
I always make it look like an accident.
Michael Knight.
Racing...
is a dangerous game...
isn't it?
Dad, he's 10 miles an hour off the pace.
Lenie, that's only his first lap.
He gets three to qualify. Come on!
You know, Mac?
Maybe you should have let him qualify in his own car.
That one's jackrabbit fast.
Maybe not.
Michael, I'm tracking you...
at 10 miles per hour off the pace.
Thanks, buddy. I'm putting my foot into it now.
Boy, I'd like to see the mill he's got under here.
Stop that, right this minute. Huh?
How do you open this here hood?
You don't. It would be an invasion of my privacy.
I'm sure you'd rather be examined by your own mechanic, or doctor...
whichever best applies.
Five miles an hour faster. Not awful.
Lon! Yo.
Get over here with that watch.
He's coming around for his final lap.
Michael, your car picks up...
a three-foot sway going into a turn...
and needs additional rpm's on the downsweep.
Thanks, buddy.
That's much better, Michael.
But I would suggest you adjust your steering to this new pattern.
You're right again, pal. I got it now.
It's been a while since I've gone this fast in another car.
Could have used you sooner.
128.3.
Hey, that puts us right in the middle of the grid.
Yeah, well, the pro would've gained a lot more than that on his third run.
Nice going, son. That's good.
Thanks, Mac.
The tires are too slick.
Better go to the softer compound.
Don't tell me how to set up the Flyer, rookie.
I wouldn't think of it.
We need a softer compound...
and I'm missing 200 revs from the top end.
You got it. Alfie Girdler.
Glad to meet you. Thanks.
Is there anything else you'd like me to install?
A coffeemaker, a Jacuzzi?
The only luxury I need right now is a smile from your little face.
Relax! Things are going just fine.
All right, come on. Let's get this show on the road.
Dennis, come on. Give him a hand over here. Let's get this...
Pardon me. Have you got a minute?
Yeah.
This car of yours...
did you ever hear it...
talk?
My car, talk? Yeah.
You know, as a matter of fact, sometimes driving on a long, hot summer night...
I swear I can hear it talk to me.
Really?
What do you do? Get the ball joints lubed, clears it right up.
See you.
That figures.
This ought to do nicely.
Usual fee? Well...
I figure it's worth double, easy.
Special equipment.
Okay. Just so it's done this afternoon.
There's a special reception for owners and drivers...
at Il Cavallino.
The gas tank.
Knight's not going to no reception.
He's going to a barbecue.
Hi.
Aren't you going to the reception?
Well, I was, but I think my starter's out.
I'm going to need a lift.
I don't think I'll make it.
So, what do you think caused the crash?
Mechanical failure or driver error?
I did.
It's something that I fouled up.
I killed John, just as sure as if I shot him.
Wait a minute.
He was a pro, he knew what could happen when he got behind that wheel.
Yeah, well, it could happen to you next.
I know that.
I wouldn't take the risk if I didn't believe in the car.
And in you.
It is a good car, isn't it? You know it is.
Now, come on, there's a reception waiting for us...
I hear they've got serious music and I love to dance.
All right. I'll go get my car.
Thanks, Michael. No problem.
Okay, KITT, like I said before...
I need a complete metallurgical stress analysis on the frame and suspension...
and an engine fail-rate simulation on the first Flyer.
I want to know what happened and why.
And pick me up at Il Cavallino, will you, pal?
Oh! Yes!
Hey, Lenie, let's dance. Come on.
Sorry, Steve, I promised this one to Michael.
Team loyalty, you know?
It's okay. You know, he's probably really good at the slow stuff...
like foxtrots and waltzes.
Like the way you drive.
You ought to try it sometime.
Go through life with your foot to the floor...
you blow right past the stuff that counts.
Please don't do that.
Ball joints?
I ain't crazy.
You can talk.
In that order, no, yes, and yes.
Great!
Would you answer a couple of questions for me?
Must I?
Boy! You really are a snob!
How would you like me to punch your fender in?
I guess I must.
But later. I have an appointment to keep.
Hey! Wait a minute!
Come back here, you overgrown roller skate!
I wanna see your engine!
I'm busy, old boy.
Oh, drat.
Who's driving?
May I? You got it.
She really likes her Uncle Wayne.
Incredible.
Look at that old fox, would you?
You two go way back, don't you?
About as far as there is.
Starting with Quarter Midgets at the Doon, Iowa fair.
Yeah?
Who won? Who won?
Wayne, it was always Wayne.
I won the tin trophies, all right, but who got the girl?
Oh, yeah, I guess I nipped you at the checkered flag on that one, didn't I, Ace?
I was even going along on the honeymoon, but...
Beth drew the line at that.
Oh, Lenie...
you are one lucky young lady!
You look like your mother, not like old crankcase-face over there.
Oh, come on! All right, I'll buy you a drink, okay?
After Dad hit the wall at Indy, it's like he died.
Driving was his life.
So you want to keep his dream alive?
Yes.
At 17, I could rebuild an Offy blindfolded...
spit like a camel and swear like a Marine.
Must've been a real big hit in Sunday school.
Seriously, Michael, I paid my dues in this business.
That's why... That's why when a mysterious rookie...
comes along who's talking big...
you find it hard to trust.
It's not just you, anybody.
If we lose tomorrow, it's not just the race...
or that Dad and I will have no more than the clothes on our backs.
It's everything that's kept Dad going will be gone.
That's not gonna happen. I promise.
KITT, pal! Pick me up.
I'm almost there, Michael.
You stay here, I'll come back for you.
Don't leave me here, please.
Just do as I say. It's me they're after.
I'll lead them away.
Alright KITT, I'm going after him.
See if you can identify him.
Michael, he should have zigged instead of zagged.
I know, buddy.
Any vital signs? Too late, Michael. Vital signs are negative.
0.0 alcohol level, too.
Did you get a picture of the driver?
I have one, Michael.
But as you can see, it will be difficult to get an identification from it.
All right.
Thanks for trying.
Notify the authorities, pal, there's nothing more we can do here.
Are you sure you're all right?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks.
Who would want to kill us?
I told you it was me they were after.
Why?
What makes you so sure?
Give me one minute and I might be able to answer that question.
KITT, what did your analysis turn up on the wrecked Flyer here?
The crash was the result of failure of the left rear wheel, Michael.
Caused by?
I'm not sure. My scan detected traces of lead on both sides of the brake.
As well as microscopic grains of cordite.
I don't believe this.
A talking microscope on wheels?
Sounds to me like an explosive bullet, pal.
Good thinking, Michael.
That round would have been fired from an Anderson sniper special.
A very rare weapon.
You mean the Flyer was sabotaged during the race by a gunman?
Yeah.
And whoever was behind it tried to kill me...
because he knew we were close to finding out.
We?
Michael, if you don't tell me about this car right now, I'll slug you.
KITT, I think our cover has been blown.
Introduce yourself.
Miss Thomas, I am the Knight Industries Two Thousand.
Knight Industries?
Wait a sec.
You're Bonnie's work, aren't you?
I'd know it anywhere.
In a way, we're both Bonnie's work.
And I think it's just about time...
to bring the Foundation in on this all the way.
Speed...
Iocation of first impact...
secondary bullet path...
and the vector back to...
the exact firing position, which is...
on the hillside along the track.
Bonnie, can you make a recognizable face out of that mess?
No. I've been trying to for an hour.
That's as good as it gets.
Well, KITT's got another one you can take a whack at.
The driver of the car that tried to kill Elena and me.
That could take a while.
But Michael has to race in four hours. With my head in his sights.
Come on, now, do the best you can.
We gotta get back to the track.
You'll do nothing of the kind, Michael.
Turn whatever evidence you have over to the proper authorities.
You're due in Cincinnati, you know that.
But Devon... I'm sorry, Bonnie...
the time restriction was clear.
But if Michael doesn't race... Wait a minute.
Devon, what's more important here?
Personal safety and livelihood of these people...
or a con man selling counterfeit Rembrandts to a museum?
Come on.
Michael, you know me altogether too well.
How much time do you need? Seven hours till the checkered flag drops.
You got eight.
Let's go!
The way you guys are going at it...
you'd think you'd actually have a chance of winning.
A good chance, Steve.
Now shove off, will you? Sure.
I'll shove that rookie right off the track while I'm at it.
Hey, you pull anything like that...
Take it easy, Elena. He's just trying to psyche me out.
I'd be working on my own car, if I were you...
trying to squeeze every rev you can out of it.
Listen, hotshot, you waltzed in here and you lucked out...
and you got a ride.
That doesn't mean it's going to be that easy to grab Elena.
Hey, nobody's grabbing anybody, Steve.
You heard the lady.
Now, you got a problem with me, why don't we just settle it after the race.
Oh, you got that right, Knight. This isn't over.
No, you're right. It's not over.
But it's not me you've got to beat, man.
It's the Flyer.
All right, cool off, Steve.
Your job is driving my car, not going 10 rounds with my friends.
Sorry, folks.
All right, now listen. Forget about that...
Let me show you what he's picked out.
Michael, Bonnie's calling.
Yeah, I'm on my way.
You got something for me, Bonnie?
Yes, an ID on the driver of the car that attacked you.
One Jonathan Tunkel, 124 Industrial Way.
Terrific. Get over here and fill in Mac and Elena...
while KITT and I check it out.
All right, plot me the most direct course.
All right, give me a personnel scan.
I want to know who I'm up against.
No one, it's empty, Michael. The door's not even locked.
This is an easy one. That's too easy. Could be a trap.
All right, scan for chemical compounds, now, will you?
I'm picking up a high concentration of potassium nitrate...
charcoal, and sulfur directly behind the door.
English? Gunpowder.
Gunpowder. All right.
Let's open the door from here.
Any more surprises? It looks clear.
Looks like it was put together by a pro.
Well, we know Tunkel couldn't have done this.
That's right, Michael, but who?
Maybe somebody Tunkel was working for...
who knows I'm still in one piece.
Maybe somebody Tunkel was talking to.
Scan this for impressions from the last couple of notes, will you?
I can discern the name of F. Lurani, Michael.
Does it mean anything to you?
Sure does! Fredo Lurani.
Hit man extraordinaire.
KITT, he lives on a boat. He could be anywhere along the coast.
Don't despair, Michael. I have what appears to be an address coming through.
Slip 202, Bayshore M.
That's gotta be it. Bayshore Marina.
Slip 202. Let's go.
Get Bonnie at the garage, will you, pal? Right away, Michael.
Bonnie, it's for you.
Bonnie, we're gonna be cutting it close.
The race is about to start, Michael, where are you?
Just have the car ready.
We got a fix on the killer.
KITT and I are gonna take him out first.
Good luck, Michael. Be careful.
Bonnie, is he all right? Will he be here on time for the race?
He'll be here, Elena, I promise.
But the killer won't. Michael's on his way to nail him now.
Thanks. I'll be ready for him if he shows.
Very seaworthy, Michael. Hmmm. Good on land, too.
The boat, Michael. Oh, yeah, well...
he's there, all right.
And if that girl's anything to go on, pretty darn relaxed.
Cover me, will you? Right behind you, Michael.
Amazing how many people die in boating accidents these days.
Michael, are you all right?
Michael, there's been a disturbance in your vital signs.
Lurani's escaping. Come in, please.
KITT!
I'm on my way.
KITT! I see you, Michael.
I need a hand.
The grappling hook. My thought exactly, Michael.
Okay!
How much longer till the race? Ten minutes, Michael.
But you need to rest. You swallowed a lot of water.
Yeah, give me 80% oxygen plus 20 psi.
Guess this is the price I had to pay to identify the killer.
Thanks.
All right, notify the authorities to pick up Lurani.
He's probably headed for the airport.
Let's go into Super Pursuit Mode. We're out of here.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 20th annual running...
of the Coast 500.
We're blessed with a beautiful day out here today...
with the temperatures in the 70s.
Lurani was warned.
He knew I was coming. Yes, but by who?
Anyone who overheard our call to Bonnie.
Steve Cochran? No, he's too small a man for that big a hate.
Elena and Bonnie, they sure aren't suspects.
Well, what do you think?
All right, we'll get out there. Come on!
Give me a rundown on Mac Thomas' insurance policies.
He has $500,000 coverage on the assets of Thomas Racing.
No kidding!
That's a lot more than he's got tied up in his team.
All right, fraud puts him on our list.
Next, Wayne Altfield.
If Mac's team is replaced by Altfield as top dog...
what's he stand to lose?
Conservatively, about $800,000 a year, Michael.
But his total earnings are many times that.
He can afford the loss easily and he is Mac's best friend.
Not much to go on, is it?
All right, close up.
Michael, you had us scared stiff.
I know the feeling, dry and wet.
At least I made it on time.
Did you get the guy? No, but he thinks he got me.
I think I bought us some time.
Better get mounted up, son.
Stay in KITT. Keep his scanners peeled, huh?
Lenie, Mac, good luck, you two.
KITT, get a snapshot of this, will you, pal?
Something for the family album, Michael?
I don't know yet. Maybe something for Dick Tracy's Crimestoppers' Textbook.
Go get 'em!
KITT, the tachometer is reading way off. Could be something loose.
Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I'm betting something's been planted.
I'll run a scan during the pace lap.
I've got a problem, Bonnie.
Michael, there's too much interference from all the unshielded ignitions.
Get it up, guys. Green flag's coming up.
We'll keep working on it during the race.
Back, Steve, back. Don't rush it.
A yellow flag is up.
The emergency crews are on their way to the crash.
He appears to be all right.
Let's bring him in. Let's bring him in.
Bring him in.
Right side, Girdler.
Just eight laps left to go.
There he is!
Michael, we can scan you now, but only as you pass our position.
It'll take several laps.
Just do it, pal, I've got my hands full trying to catch Cochran.
An explosive device, C4, activated in your last pit stop...
set to blow the moment you lose motion or overheat.
Michael, bail out!
We could blow the grandstand if I do. Where's the bomb planted?
Directly behind you, Michael.
Okay, Bonnie's the one that's got to bail out.
Get moving and meet me at the run-out lane after the S's on Turn 7.
Okay.
Pop the trunk, pal.
There you go. That's a boy.
Hold it! Michael Knight!
KITT, meet me in the pits.
There's the checkered flag. The race is over.
Michael Knight, a rookie at this track, has won the race.
He's heading for the pits.
Wait a minute, folks, this is very strange.
Winning must be a new experience for this driver.
I know it is for the Thomas Racing Team.
Hey, where's he going?
Congratulations, Michael.
Couldn't have done it without you, pal.
All right, let's head for the garage.
Behind you, Michael.
Afternoon, Wayne.
Oh, come on, Knight. You're just guessing.
Nope.
Took me a little while to put the pieces together.
It was the money angle that threw me off.
What would I want with more money?
Yeah, you're right.
If it wasn't the money, then it had to be Elena.
You know what's plain as the nose on your face?
On both your faces?
She's your daughter, right, KITT? Correct, Michael.
Elena's face shares 67 points of similarity with Wayne's, but only five with Mac's.
It's pretty clear.
All right, her mother, Beth, and I, yes, we were lovers.
She broke it off, but Elena is mine.
He stole Beth from me, he stole my daughter from me...
and now he's trying to steal my place in racing.
But I gave her, her genes.
I gave her, her education...
Everything except for a father's love.
I got that from Mac, thank God.
Go on, get out of here. No, I can't pretend anymore.
You knew?
Mom told me right before she died.
Sure, Wayne, you helped us out with money...
but when you found out you couldn't buy me...
you tried to destroy everything.
Come on. What do you want to do?
Kill him.
Uh-uh.
Both of them have to go.
No, no! Wait a minute.
No, I'll square things with Lenie.
And leave a witness? Not a chance.
KITT!
Whistle for the cops, will you, pal?
Certainly, Michael.
What's up, guys?
Well, Michael, it came to my attention that you were forced...
to abandon the usual accolades awarded to the winner of a race.
Well, it wasn't easy ignoring all those trophy queens and their phone numbers.
Well, they've moved on to the next race.
And, of course, Mac and Elena already have the trophy.
However, we still put together a little...
victory lane celebration just for you.
Well, thank you very much. I...
think this one just suits me fine.
And the traditional laurel wreath. Thank you very much.
And just in case you thought we'd forgotten...
and no celebration would be complete...
without the traditional bottle of bubbly.
You shouldn't have.
Well, come on, Michael, open it.
Yeah, the winner always shares with his crew.
Well...
tradition is tradition, and since you are...
my crew, I think that...
Oh, RC, you shouldn't have said that.
I knew I shouldn't have said that.
Michael, don't you think this is...