Please let the renewed giga rumor be true!
I know roller coaster fans want gigas everywhere, but I sincerely think a traditional out and back giga (or hyper) makes a lot of business sense for Knott's.
The park is highly attended, with a large thrill seeking base, and I think a tall, inversion-less, out and back steel coaster is a marketable hole. Plus, I think another high capacity B&M (presumably) coaster would really improve the overall guest experience on busy days. And a parking lot layout seems to render the "loss of charm" concerns moot.
Separately, I like PE's new paint job. I think it gives the ride a more natural look, which has always been what I enjoy about the ride (that it really feels like riding a horse through a western terrain).