What happens when you combine a Tesla Model S with KITT from the TV show Knight Rider? Answer: The Youxia X. Chinese startup Youxia Motors announced its first ever production car, the all-electric X, at an event Sunday evening, according to Car News China. The Youxia X isn't quite as blatant a rip-off as some other Chinese cars, but its design inspiration should be obvious to anyone who has seen a Tesla. It looks mostly like a Model S — down to the tall touchscreen center console and the retracting door handles — with design cues from Lexus, Audi and Maserati thrown in for good measure. What is distinctly un-Tesla is the X's Knight Rider inspiration. In the '80s TV show, Michael Knight (played by David Hasselhoff) drove an artificially intelligent Pontiac Firebird Trans Am called KITT — which became iconic for, among other things, its lit-up red grille. The Youxia X sports an LCD grille that can light up like KITT's, or display the company's logo and other visuals. Its operating system, based on Android 5.1, is also called KITT OS. Its designer, Huang Xiuyuan, is reportedly a big Knight Rider fan. The performance isn't nearly as ludicrous as a top of the line Tesla Model S, but the makers of the X claim it has an acceleration of zero to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds. It's powered by a 348-horsepower electric motor and comes with the option of a 40 kWh, 60 kWh or 85 kWh battery. With the biggest battery available, the X's range is about 167 miles. A full charge will only take a half hour at a Supercharger station. The KITT OS will also allow drivers to select the engine sounds of cars like the Ferrari 488 GTB and the Jaguar F-Type to play over the near-silence of the electric motor, similar to what Renault has done with the Clio. Production will supposedly begin in late 2016, with deliveries in early 2017, putting it ahead of the Tesla Model 3 in terms of launch date. After a government subsidy, the vehicle will cost about $32,000 to $48,000, putting its pricing in line with the Model 3. Of course, it's probably wise to be a bit skeptical about an unknown company that comes out of nowhere with such bold claims, so it's unclear if the X will ever reach production.
The Youxia X, which was just unveiled in Maserati, appears to want to be a Tesla. The design similarities between the Model S and Youxia X are rather hard to ignore, from the blacked-out front fascia to the shape of the car’s three-pointed logo.