The record-breaking truck – which weighs in at 4.5 tonnes and delivers 2,400bhp – is fully bespoke apart from its engine and the standard I-Shift dual clutch transmission, according to Claes Nilsson, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks.
“This shows that our I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission has enormous potential and that it does not let you down under extreme conditions,” he states.
“The fact that the world record-breaker uses the very same gearbox found in our series-built FH trucks is something that we’re really proud of.”
With an average speed of 169kph (105mph) and a time of 21.29 seconds, The Iron Knight beat the international speed record for 1,000 metres from a standing start and the corresponding record for the 500-metre distance, at 131.29kph (81.579mph) and 13.71 seconds.
“Specialists from several Volvo Trucks departments worked together to develop a truck with unsurpassed performance,” explains Olof Johansson, a technician at Volvo Trucks.
“Apart from Volvo Trucks’ powertrain, 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,” he adds.
Laurent Colantonio, director of tyre technology for Goodyear, which provided the race tyres, agrees. “With so much power and torque, ensuring that 4.5 tonnes of truck sticks to the track at speeds of up to nearly 280kph km/h is a real challenge for the tyres,” he says.
The Goodyear 315/70R22.5 that The Iron Knight steer tyres are based on and the 495/45R22.5 drive tyres are truck racing tyres, as used by all trucks in the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) European Truck Racing Championship.
Both are built on standard Goodyear truck tyre carcasses with specially developed tread compounds and tread patterns, says Colantonio.
“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 race driver, Boije Ovebrink.