Called ‘The Iron Knight’, the vehicle’s powertrain is based on the same unit found in a road-going FH, but the engine has been pushed to its limits and will make the record attempt on 24 August.
“The Iron Knight is the perfect way to showcase the competence and innovative power of Volvo Trucks... our aim was to generate new insights into technical and design solutions,” says Claes Nilsson, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks, adding that the company intends “to transfer some of these to our series-produced trucks”.
The engine is a mid-mounted and significantly modified D13 unit with water-cooled intercooler and four turbochargers, producing 2,400bhp and 6,000 Nm of torque.
The electric and electronic systems have been scaled down and the software has been re-programmed, so that the highly-tuned engine can communicate optimally with the transmission – an I-Shift Dual Clutch of the same model that is fitted to series-manufactured Volvo FH models. The only adjustment to the gearbox is its reinforced clutch, which is necessary to handle the exceptionally high torque.
“In order to beat a world speed record, you have to have exceptional performance. The I-Shift Dual Clutch is the best possible transmission for the job since it maintains torque on the drive wheel during gear changes, just like a racing car does. Thanks to this, The Iron Knight can accelerate without losing vital time during gear changes,” explains Niklas Öberg, Volvo’s test engineer.
Other features include a fibreglass cab and large air ducts in the side-skirts to supply maximum air to the engine.
With racing driver Boije Ovebrink behind the wheel, the vehicle will attempt to break the world record in two categories -- 500 and 1,000 metres from a standing start.
The attempt will be screened on the day on Volvo Truck’s social media channels.