Today we received some news that Shia LaBeouf wasn’t the only thing being replaced in the upcoming Transformers 4. Trucking Today noticed that the big dog himself, Optimus Prime, has been switched out for a newer model.
Optimus Prime: Peterbilt vs Western Star
Optimus Prime Cab Over
Over the years we have seen Optimus Prime change faces a few times. The biggest change was from the cartoon where Optimus Prime was a cabover truck to the bull-nosed Peterbuilt we have all come to love.
Optimus Prime Cabover
Optimus Prime Peterbuilt 379
Later on, and probably most notably, Optimus Prime has been played by a Peterbilt 379 as seen below:
Optimus Prime – Peterbilt 379
Yep, that’s the Optimus Prime we all know and love. But they can’t just leave things the same can they? I mean, you don’t want an old, dated truck playing the leader of the Autobots do you? At least that seems to be the thinking of the minds behind Transformers 4 who decided to “upgrade” Optimus Prime.
The new Western Star Optimus Prime
You ready to meet the new, and improved Western Star Optimus Prime?
Optimus Prime – Western Star
Photo Credit: This Guy
That’s a big difference from the old Peterbilt 379 that used to play Optimus Prime! For those of you that aren’t knowledgeable of semis, it’s like replacing a Ford with a Chevy. It’s like replacing KITT, the Pontiac Trans-Am in Knight Rider, with a Ford Shelby GT500…
While I am personally not a big fan of the change, I have to admit the new Optimus Prime looks pretty cool, but I personally like the Peterbilt version better. I understand things can’t stay the same forever, but the Peterbilt just looks more Optimus Prime-y. It’s old school look, boxy design, and just bad-assness just makes it look tough. Exactly what you would expect Optimus Prime to be. Now the new model with it’s sleek lines, rounded edges, and smooth styling just looks like a wimp. It lacks the grit that the old truck had. But hey, he’s more than meets the eye, so I guess it’s what happens when he transforms that really matters.
Before we go, I’ll leave you with some on the set footage, and a picture of a blacked out, cab-over Freightliner. Enjoy!
Transformers 4 Freightliner