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Sunday Tribune (South Africa) March 1, 2009 The thought of living the life of a famous television show character is just fantasy for most – unless, of course, you’re Vishnu Naicker.

He is Durban’s very own Michael Knight, instantly recognisable as he cruises the streets in his 1986 black Transam Firebird – an exact working replica of Kitt, the talking crime- fighting car of the hit 1980s television series, Knight Rider, which starred David Hasselhoff.

For those who grew up watching the series, getting behind the wheel of Kitt was the ultimate dream, a dream Naicker realised 20-odd years later when he built his own version of the iconic car, complete with aircraft-like cockpit, scanner lights, TV screens and authentic voice box – yes, the car does talk.

“It all started in 1992 when I drove past the American Car Sales showroom and saw this amazing white Pontiac Firebird. I had a flashback to the Knight Rider shows and that is how my dream began,” said Naicker.

The Durban businessman had an opportunity to start the Firebird’s engine in the showroom and was immediately taken by the American muscle car’s brute V8 engine.

“I could feel the windows of the showroom shaking and the car vibrating – it was amazing,” he said.

Naicker bought his very own Firebird in 1998. It was a Transam Firebird GTA 5.7 litre TPI V8, imported from California.

Although at first it was not his intention to build a replica of Kitt, after doing research on the internet and visiting the United States, Naicker found it would be possible to turn his Firebird into his ultimate dream car. go to web site gta 5 news

“I started my journey searching for information about Knight Rider, browsing through the internet and American car magazines until one day I found a website which directed me to companies responsible for building the original Knight Rider car,” he said.

While on holiday in the US in 2002 he continued his research, determined to realise his dream.

“On concluding my research, I discovered that Kitt’s cockpit and scanner light were designed by aviation experts in the United Kingdom, the front nose was manufactured for Universal Studios in Canada and the electronics were developed in Fort Loradace, Miami,” Naicker said.

When he returned to South Africa, Naicker started importing the parts he needed to build Kitt.

“It’s taken me a long time to build this car. I’ve been working on it for about six years now,” he said.

“It has a personalised lip, bonnet and boot spoiler, therefore it is the only one of its kind in South Africa,” he said.

Religious Naicker said the car attracted attention wherever he went, and was quite popular with women.

“People love it, wherever I go. You could probably get a lot of girlfriends with it, but I’m married and that’s that,” he said.

Naicker said although he enjoyed fast cars and motorcycles, he was not a fan of drag racing and did not participate in races.

Naicker is a deeply religious man. He said people were surprised to hear that he was studying to be a guru and that when he was not upgrading the electronics on Kitt, he was studying religion and meditating. Last year he joined gurus in a |60-day fast for world peace.

Naicker said Kitt held very special significance for him.

“Kitt symbolises peace and justice. Michael Knight was a person who wanted to rid the world of corruption – and that is what I want to do, in a way,” he said.

Kitt can be viewed at the Overport Motor Show, today at the Overport Secondary School grounds.