Moebius Models 1/25 International Prostar Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Heavy metal modelers have enjoyed a variety of 1/24 and 1/25 scale truck kits over the years with familiar subjects in the Peterbilt, Kenworth, White, International, and others rendered in detailed plastic. With a few exceptions though, most of these subjects are kits of 30-year-old subjects. The love affair with trucks had passed along with disco. Or has it? Italeri has been releasing new-tool subjects over the last several years including the Mercedes Actros, DAF and Scania variants, but these of course are road warriors in Europe (and elsewhere) but rarely seen in the US. Along came Moebius Models and they released the International Lonestar, the first modern US road warrior to be seen in scale in many years. Not resting on their laurels, the Lonestar has now been followed by the Prostar. Let's take a look:

The kit is molded in white styrene and presented on 13 parts trees plus a separately molded cab/sleeper and hood, five trees of chrome or silver plated parts, one tree of clear parts, one photo-etched radiator grille, and a stack of rubber tires. When you look at this truck, it looks as sleek and aerodynamic compared to the reissue kits from other manufactures, much like an F-16 looks next to F6F Hellcat.

Among the features and options of the kit:

• Nicely detailed Maxxforce engine
• Very detailed chassis and drive train
• Nicely detailed suspension
• Very detailed cab with wood grain accents provided by decals
• Hinged hood which can be tilted forward to show off that very detailed engine bay

Markings are provided for a Navistar-registered truck as well as BrandsMart USA example. Since these trucks are in service with hundreds of companies and independent operators, these decals are merely an easy option but many modelers will want to take their own look.

While plated parts are common in car/truck kits, many modelers prefer to strip off that plating and once the parts are cleaned and any molding remnants removed, they'll use their favorite metalizers to take that look to the next level.

While most fleet trucks look the same for each company, the independent operators will take that stock truck that looks awesome from the factory and add/modify the look to suit their own tastes. Variations in lighting, paint, chrome or other plated metals, and custom accessories will set each truck apart and the nice thing about this kit is that you have a modern (and detailed) pallet to start with.

One note: when I was photographing the sprue trees, I noted that the frame rails in my example were slightly warped/bowed. Because the rails and cross-members are molded separately, all you need do is square the frame up during assembly and everything will go together smoothly.

This is a very detailed kit and will look great straight out of the box. In the hands of the advanced modeler, you'll see wiring, brake lines, and other subtle enhancements that will really make this model stand out. Take one for a test drive! For European modelers, this kit has also been released by Revell AG.

My sincere thanks to Moebius Models for this review sample!