How fast do you think a Volvo truck can go? Well, to start things off a little faster than usual, the Tata Prima 4038.S that races in the T1 Truck Racing Championship can achieve 130km/h from its 370bhp engine. Awesome, right? Now let’s compare that to the 2016 Audi TT with a 2-litre TFSI engine. The TT, which is limited to a top speed of 250km/h does the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.3 seconds. Let’s consider something that’s a little faster – the Porsche Macan Turbo with its 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 does 100km/h in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 266km/h. But not even that is as fast as the Volvo Iron Knight!
It looks mean, and it looks like it’s on a mission – because it is! Volvo makes some of the finest trucks and buses all over the world but one thing they do better than that is attempt some really crazy stuff. So in May 2012, they took a hybrid truck, slapped on some green paint on it and took this 1,900bhp, 16-cylinder engine coupled to a 200hp electric motor and clocked 236.57 km/h. At the wheel was Boije Overbrink as he set the World Land Speed Record for a hybrid truck. Overbrink was back in action on 24 August and this time with the Iron Knight which not only makes 2,400 horses and 5,728Nm he was gunning for the speed records for the 500-metre and 1000-metre runs.
Boije Overbrink with the Volvo Iron Knight
The Volvo Iron Knight has achieved what it was built to, at a closed-off airfield in Fallfors, Sweden. Overbrink piloted the Iron Knight up and down a 1km stretch within the span of an hour to set new FIA World Speed Records. 500 metres came up in 13.710 seconds at 84.026km/h while 1000 metres was set in 21.290 seconds at 169.09km/h. The Volvo Iron Knight even went on to clock 276km/h. And in case you’re wondering about acceleration figures – it is faster than a Porsche Cayman – 4.6 seconds to be exact!
The Volvo Iron Knight is more of a performance tribute to the Volvo FH series, with super lightweight construction and really low-slung body. It still isn’t easy pushing a wall of metal against the elements at 276km/h though! What’s more fascinating is that the mid-mounted D13 engine and the I-Shift Dual Clutch Transmission were the only parts on the Iron Knight that weren’t custom built.
Now that the numbers have left you with a dropped jaw, admire the pictures of the Volvo Iron Knight on this page and then watch the video as this super-truck twists, wheelspins and basically amazes off the start line. Volvo – we have mad respect for you and the next time we’re on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in a Volvo bus, we’ll appreciate it that much more.
Images and Video courtesy: Volvo Trucks