Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Various angles (1/7)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Various angles (2/7)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Various angles (3/7)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Various angles (4/7)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Various angles (5/7)

Various angles

There are quite a few leftover parts from the shared runners.

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Articulation of the body's various sections. The structure is so unique that it's hard to explain the mov

Articulation of the body's various sections.
The structure is so unique that it's hard to explain the moving parts,
but whether it's due to the transformation gimmick or not, the articulation feels somewhat limited compared to similarly shaped HMM Zoids kits.

Hexa Gear Voltrex - You can connect it to a separately sold stand using an included joint part, but since there's no designat

You can connect it to a separately sold stand using an included joint part,
but since there's no designated attachment point specified, it's a bit awkward to plug in.

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Surprisingly, there aren't that many poses you can pull off. (1/4)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Surprisingly, there aren't that many poses you can pull off. (2/4)

Surprisingly, there aren't that many poses you can pull off.

Together with Governor Parafon Sentinel.

Hexa Gear Voltrex - With Governor Parafon Sentinel riding on top. (1/4)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - With Governor Parafon Sentinel riding on top. (2/4)

With Governor Parafon Sentinel riding on top.

To transform into vehicle mode, first detach the limbs.

Spread the tail out flat, rotate the lower body 180 degrees, then swing the tail forward.

Hexa Gear Voltrex - Fold the legs as shown, then reattach them to the body and the transformation is complete — simple as tha

Fold the legs as shown, then reattach them to the body and the transformation is complete — simple as that.

Hexa Gear Voltrex - The super cool vehicle mode. (1/6)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - The super cool vehicle mode. (2/6)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - The super cool vehicle mode. (3/6)

Hexa Gear Voltrex - The super cool vehicle mode. (4/6)

The super cool vehicle mode.

Underside view

Vehicle mode with Governor Parafon Sentinel riding on top.

This kit is the Voltrex, a mech kit from Kotobukiya's new Hexa Gear lineup. As the name suggests, it's a Tyrannosaurus Rex-style concept built around hex bolts. The separately colored parts and solid color separation give it a really impressive look even as a straight build.

One interesting thing about these Hexa Gear mechs is that they can transform into vehicle form — and it's a surprisingly simple transformation where you just detach the limbs, fold them up a bit, and reattach them, yet it pulls off a pretty convincing bike shape.

Probably because of that transformation gimmick, the articulation doesn't feel as good as you might expect — the range of poses is somewhat limited compared to similarly shaped Zoids HMM kits. On top of that, since it's a dinosaur that has to stand on two legs, it's not easy to keep it balanced without tipping over. That said, the joint strength is generally solid so stability itself is decent enough. The one exception is the shoulder ball joints, which feel noticeably loose — holding the arms straight out to the sides is pretty tough.

Posing can be tricky, but the design is so distinctive that it looks great just standing there on display. The vehicle mode in particular, which you can get to in just a few simple steps, looks absolutely badass — and if you add a separately sold Hexa Gear trooper riding on top, it looks seriously awesome.

Personally, compared to the Frame Arms series where everything tends to be floppy, I really like how this one has better stability and a sharper overall look. And a mech that transforms into a bike? This lineup is definitely aimed straight at the hearts of mech enthusiasts.

Anyway, if you're into this kind of mech model kit, it's definitely worth building and a lot of fun. The overall quality feels solid, so as long as you can overlook the somewhat lacking value for money, I'd say it's well worth recommending. :-)

Hexa Gear Voltrex | 2017.8 | ¥4,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.