Much like Hasbro and Mattel, Japanese toymaker TOMY does crowdfunding too. However, unlike the two giants that churn out collector’s toys on a regular basis, TOMY is more like a curator at a fine museum. It only does so once in a very long while, and each time it makes sure it is a chart-topper among collectors and fans.
The toy brand’s premium collectibles brand, TOMY+, which already has three successful crowdfunding campaigns under its belt—the 1:10 DeLorean Time Machine and two 1:350 U.S.S. Enterprise models (a classic TV version and a cinematic refit)—will be crowdfunding another iconic vehicle: K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider.
This collectible is a 1:10 scale die-cast metal recreation of the iconic crime-fighting vehicle, and it touts features like a touch sensor for voice and light effects, manually opening Air Brake panels (for the EBS, a.k.a. Emergency Braking System), a rotating license plate, and the voicebox above the dash. But the standout features are the automatic transformation into Super Pursuit Mode (SPM) and the voice recognition interface.
The 1:10 Knight Rider K.I.T.T. Die-cast Replica is the first-ever working SPM transformation at this scale. In addition, it has an actual miniature TV monitor on the dash, plus voice recognition that allows the user to interact with K.I.T.T. This die-cast replica is so detailed that it even recreates the banks of green lights on the accelerator pedal.
The 1:10 Knight Rider K.I.T.T. Die-cast Replica will soon be crowdfunded on Backerkit. It would be the definitive K.I.T.T. scale replica to date if it makes it to production. As for the price, I saw somewhere that it will be as low as US$399. But I cannot be sure and cannot recall where I saw that number. Anyhoo, if you want one, be prepared to splurge. Meanwhile, you can hit up Backerkit and the TOMY website to pore over the details.
Images: Tomy [US].