Overview

As an exotic model car builder, I went bonkers when this kit became available as an IPMS review candidate. The Porsche 918 kit was initially introduced on the European model market by Revell of Germany, luckily Revell USA soon picked it up and re-boxed it for the United States market, the only difference was the boxing configuration. Your hobby shop may have both the Revell USA or Revell Germany versions, the only difference is boxing and pricing. Specifically, the 918 is an exotic hybrid vehicle; main power is generated by a 4.6 litre gasoline engine and is supplemented by two electric motors on both the front and rear axles. It has astonishing performance; 0 to 60 in 2.6 seconds and 0-100 MPH in 4.9 seconds. Initial pricing of this car was a cool $845,000 less an electric federal income tax credit of $3,667 (like you and I need that for our income tax filing).

The “Effie” pickup trunk have always held me in awe, possibly because a long time ago in another life, I was building a ’53 into a street machine.

Engine

The engine appears to be a small block Ford with Roush refinements. The parts fit very well. I was unable to put the supplied Rouch decals on the valve covers because my decal sheet disintegrated.

Interior

Door panel and dash engraving was very crisp and easy to detail paint. Side panels are separate pieces which makes for easier painting. The interior is also flocked. There are no options for the interior but it is extremely well done for such a small space.

There’s always been a soft spot in my heart for ’69 Corvettes. I don’t know why, but maybe because they look so darn sexy.

Engine

We have a 427ci engine under the hood with 3 2 barrel carbs. There’s also an option for a single 4 barrel and different air cleaner. That chrome triangle looks better than a round semi-gloss black thing.

Interior

Door panel and dash engraving was very crisp and easy to detail paint. Side panels are separate pieces which makes for easier painting. The interior is also flocked. There are no options for the interior. You can make only a stock interior.

Background

The Grim Reapers description on Revell’s website sums up the premise best, “The baddest of the bad is back and hotter than ever. Tom Daniel's devilishly designed Grim Reaper still has that mean, classic look 40 years after it was designed. The Grim Reaper starts with raked, custom, square-tubular forks and cool, dual-square headlights. Then, there's the "coffin" shaped gas tank on the custom frame with custom stitched seat, and "Iron Cross" medallion. It's all powered by a classic V-twin motor with down-swept chrome pipes. Kit features tons of chrome parts, flexible tubing for wiring, swing out kick stand, and soft black tires”.

This review covers the re-release of the Kenworth K-100 by Revel in 1:25 scale. There are 284 parts molded in White, Chrome, and Clear, with Vinyl tires, and waterslide decals. Fit and finish on this kit is very good for its age. Incidentally, this is the truck style used for Optimus Prime in the original cartoon version of Transformers. The good news: this is a well designed kit. The bad news: I don’t see a current release date so they may be hard to find.

Construction and Detailing

This 2017 re-release #85-2513 has seen several box arts and versions (including the aerodyne’s) over the years. It needs glue and paint, so it would be recommended for advanced modelers due to the high piece count. On the other hand, it doesn’t have the usual poor cab fit issue. In fact, it assembles very well. The build is done in modules and is fairly simple with the full frame being assembled, then the motor and interior.