Kenworth W980?

[Fabrux]

This truck has exploded all over my Facebook feed today with all the usual complaints about destroying an industry and a classic truck etc etc. I can't seem to find any information on it, especially from Kenworth. The images I have show a side view rendering, plus two pictures of an actual truck undergoing post delivery inspection it seems. The door emblems appear to say W980, which fits with Kenworth's naming scheme.

To me this looks like a T880S with a longer hood. Does anyone know much more about this truck? What little I've seen suggest there will be a corresponding Peterbilt model to eventually supplant the 389.

[Bennyg]

Reminds me of a Mack SuperLiner crossed with a Kenworth W900. Looks ok to me. Hopefully someone models it.

Ben

[TheSDTrucker]

Hmmm... very interesting.. I dont know if I like it or not

[Oldmopars]

I kind of like it, it still has a little of the classic truck style, but with a modern look. They have to keep moving forward, if not they will die. Compared to several other modern trucks, this looks really good. I would build a model of one if someone makes it.

[clayton]

Lost for words and thoughts.

[Mike77]

I don't care for the slant on the top of the headlight housings but the rest looks okay. We have to come out of the 70's at some point.

[Fabrux]

The headlights are from the T880 series forward axle model.

[vincen47]

1 hour ago, Mike77 said:

I don't care for the slant on the top of the headlight housings but the rest looks okay. We have to come out of the 70's at some point.

I agree. It took me a while to figure out what I did not like in the design. It’s not bad overall, but there’s something off about the headlights. Is it a worthy replacement for the 900L? In my opinion, no, but I guess it’s a modern interpretation of the classic longnose truck. I’ll always have a bias against anything new, as it will never be good enough, but that’s life. I hope the future Peterbilt flagship doesn’t take a step down in design. At least with the 389, you could remove those silly looking headlight pods (again not fitting the overall design) and put on traditional headlights and you have a beautiful truck.

[lapazleo]

Just bear in mind the w900l was a replacement for the w900a extended hood after Kenworth had no extended hood model for a few years and wasn't fully accepted either. Twenty five years from now will hear the same old complaints when they replace the 980.

[Mike77]

Honestly I'm surprised Paccar is hanging onto the "classic" look at all anymore. I supposed there's still enough sales to justify building them, but I go past the local Love's at least twice daily and it seems there's fewer of them each day.

[Truck parts]

Cool looking truck

[clayton]

On 8/11/2018 at 9:38 PM, Mike77 said:

Honestly I'm surprised Paccar is hanging onto the "classic" look at all anymore. I supposed there's still enough sales to justify building them, but I go past the local Love's at least twice daily and it seems there's fewer of them each day.

Slowly becoming a thing of the past. I like the way things as were.

[TheSDTrucker]

On 8/10/2018 at 10:27 PM, vincen47 said:

I agree. It took me a while to figure out what I did not like in the design. It’s not bad overall, but there’s something off about the headlights. Is it a worthy replacement for the 900L? In my opinion, no, but I guess it’s a modern interpretation of the classic longnose truck. I’ll always have a bias against anything new, as it will never be good enough, but that’s life. I hope the future Peterbilt flagship doesn’t take a step down in design. At least with the 389, you could remove those silly looking headlight pods (again not fitting the overall design) and put on traditional headlights and you have a beautiful truck.

I think that's what I was thinking too. The headlights are what really got me itching my head. Had they been more built into the fender I think they would look better. I do agree though, not really a worthy replacement of such an iconic truck, but nevertheless, progress takes over. They cant hold on to the past forever.

[clayton]

Just reading on a fb page this is a 2020 release called the 990.

[lapazleo]

On 8/11/2018 at 9:38 PM, Mike77 said:

Honestly I'm surprised Paccar is hanging onto the "classic" look at all anymore. I supposed there's still enough sales to justify building them, but I go past the local Love's at least twice daily and it seems there's fewer of them each day.

They clearly used the 680/880 style cab. It's just too costly to build the w9 on a different platform from everything else for a limited sales model. I'm as ole skool as they come but I wouldn't trade my current 579 Pete for my old 359.

[TheSDTrucker]

1 hour ago, lapazleo said:

They clearly used the 680/880 style cab. It's just too costly to build the w9 on a different platform from everything else for a limited sales model. I'm as ole skool as they come but I wouldn't trade my current 579 Pete for my old 359.

Even though the classic styles trucks are cool, it is fair to admit that the newer trucks are much better in comfort and efficiency 

[iamsuperdan]

I think the headlights are a little awkward looking, but overall it's a good looking truck.

 

Would love to see a kit of this...or any other modern truck. Need more new trucks!

 

[vincen47]

I held a finger over the pic covering up a good portion of the top of the headlights, making them straight across, not angled, and it looked so much better. In fact, it looked much more like a modern version of the 900L. 

Regardless, if someone made a kit of it, even resin, I’d happily build it. 

[Mike77]

5 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

Would love to see a kit of this...or any other modern truck. Need more new trucks!

I think that sums up the state of this hobby. Many of us have been building the same kits over and over for year in different ways, which is the great thing about truck model building...there are endless variations that can be done. However it's very difficult to get young builders to want to build models of trucks they rarely see on the road. If they're interested in building truck models they want to build what they see every day. I think Moebius is about the only manufacturer that has given us anything we can call modern. As thankful as we all are and rightly should be for that, imagine what it would be like if Moebius had the license with Paccar. That would be our only likelihood of getting kits of current Peterbilts and Kenworth. I'll be the first to admit that a lot of the rigs on the road today are pretty darn sharp-looking. Just thinking out loud...

[lapazleo]

Come to think of it sort of resembles some current Aussie KW's.

[Force]

Put in four round or square headlights instead of the weird looking headlights it has and I can live with it

[PettyKW43]

As a huge Kenworth fan I actually hope that this is slated for production, I find the design quite interesting, and I also agree we need a couple more modern truck models on the market and would love to see maybe even this one in kit form . As for the truck’s design you knew that sooner or later that the old w900 cab was going to go by the wayside! Considering that it was designed in the late 50’s and been on the market since 63 in various formats it’s time is coming to an end, although I have to say it is still my favourite!

[Warren D]

Regarding the headlights, I don't really care for the modern look especially considering that they will cost a fortune to replace.  Yes, they will break at some point.  Guess I'm getting old.....

[clayton]

On 8/10/2018 at 11:20 PM, kataranga said:

The headlights are from the T880 series forward axle model.

Not to sure think I seen one of these Today. Do know it was a Kw.

[TheSDTrucker]

Kenworth finally revealed this truck to the public, it's apparently called the W990. Kenworth states that this truck will not be replacing the W900, but is simply an addition to the current line up.

 

https://www.kenworth.com/trucks/w990/

Edited September 29, 2018 by TheSDTrucker
Link addition