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But Hoff fans take note – the new Knight Rider is rumoured to be based around Michael Knight’s son, played by American actor Justin Bruening

Knight Rider is back – and this time K.I.T.T is based on one of the most iconic names in motoring history.

Rumours have surfaced the star of the upcoming one-off Knight Rider is based on the special edition Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 KR.

And as with the original Knight Rider, the car will be the main attraction.

The Shelby GT500 KR was revealed at the New York Motor Show in April this year and features a 5.4-litre V8 engine – the same as the Ford GT.

Tuning arm Shelby has tweaked the V8 under the bonnet of the awesome retro Mustang to produce 540bhp, making it one of the fastest production Mustangs built.

The new GT500 KR draws on a number of nostalgic references to its predecessor, the 1968 GT500 KR, and features 40th anniversary badging, racing stripes, and Carroll Shelby’s signature embroidered on the seats.

But Hoff fans take note – the new Knight Rider is rumoured to be based around Michael Knight’s son, played by American actor Justin Bruening.

The original series of Knight Rider was an instant hit, airing from 1982 to 1986, and introduced the world to David Hasselfhoff.

Playing lone crime-fighter Michael Knight, David ‘the Hoff’ Hasselhoff toured America in his one-off Pontiac Trans Am, codenamed K.I.T.T (Knight Industries Two Thousand) fighting crime.

But K.I.T.T wasn’t any ordinary car.

It was built with artificial intelligence which gave it the power to reason and talk, with actor William Daniels providing a number of sarcastic one-liners to Michael Knight during their relationship.

The new series is set to air next year on American network NBC.