What's the news?
Behold, there is a new god amongst trucks and its name is... IRON KNIGHT!!!! Nope, not a new comic book character (although we hear Stan Lee is keen to do an adaptation...), but a big Volvo truck, which has just set two FIA-certified speed and acceleration records.
Now, you're probably thinking that 'this will just be a speed record for a truck, so it won't actually be all that fast.' Um, nope. How does 276km/h grab you?
The Iron Knight (we love that name) uses a 2,400hp (yes, you read that right), 6,000Nm (again...) quad-turbo D13 engine and is powering its wheels through Volvo's new I-Shift dual-clutch transmission, which is the reason behind the records. Volvo is keen to promote its fast-shifting new gearbox, and this is the perfect way to do so.
With an average speed of 169km/h and a time of 21.29 seconds, The Iron Knight beat the international speed record for 1000 metres from a standing start. It also beat the corresponding record for the 500-metre distance, at 131.29km/h and 13.71 seconds. The record run was carried out at a closed-off test track in northern Sweden. During the tests, the Iron Knight hit a maximum speed of 276km/h - more than 160mph. At the time of publication, the records are being reviewed by the FIA, the international motor sport association.
"This shows that our I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission has enormous potential and that it does not let you down under extreme conditions. The fact that the world record-breaker uses the very same gearbox that is found in our series-built FH trucks is something that we're really proud of," says Claes Nilsson, President and CEO of Volvo Trucks.
"Specialists from several different Volvo Trucks departments worked closely together to develop a truck with unsurpassed performance. Apart from Volvo Trucks' powertrain, which is the heart and soul of The Iron Knight, we've hand-built the truck from the ground up. The fact that we succeeded in securing not just one record but two is absolutely amazing," says Olof Johansson, a technician at Volvo Trucks.
Behind the wheel of The Iron Knight was Boije Ovebrink, who has more than 30 years' experience of both car and truck racing. He has previously beaten five speed records and in 1994 was European Truck Racing Champion. "Volvo Trucks' The Iron Knight can be summarised in one single word: perfection. It's beautiful to look at and is an unparalleled powerhouse when you floor the accelerator. This is the third record-breaking truck I've driven, and I can't think of a better follow-up to Wild Viking and Mean Green," says Boije Ovebrink.