Volvo Trucks has pitted a Volvo FH truck with its new I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission against a Koenigsegg One:1 in a race… With Tiff Needell in the truck the result isn’t a forgone conclusion.
VOLVO TRUCKS IS a master of the viral video (remember VanDamme’s splits?) and this is its latest attempt to light up the Internet… It has taken a Volvo FH truck with its new I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission and pitted it against one of the world’s fastest cars – the Koenigsegg One:1.
Yep, it’s a publicity stunt, but Volvo wanted to keep things reasonably fair and, so, the race saw the Koenigsegg One:1, which punches out as much horsepower as it weighs in kilograms (1360), run two laps to the Volvo FH truck’s one lap of the Knutstorp race track in southern Sweden. And to give the Volvo FH truck a fighting chance, Volvo asked Fifth Gear presenter and former Formula One driver, Tiff Needell, to pilot it around the track.
“I-Shift Dual Clutch is absolutely incredible. It is particularly noticeable on slopes, the truck does not hold back – it just flows smoothly, without the gear changes being felt. When you brake, it switches down very softly and comfortably. The truck definitely has the heart of a sports car,” says Tiff Needell.
Knutstorp race track was selected because of its hilly terrain and tight turns; Volvo felt it would best demonstrate the ability of the I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission which offers smooth shifts and improved drivability, according to Volvo.
“I-Shift Dual Clutch has a dual-clutch, which is quite unique in the heavy vehicles market. However, similar technology is already in sports cars. Therefore, this was the perfect challenge,” said Jeff Bird, Press Test Director at Volvo Trucks.
“It may sound like a different environment for a heavy truck, but the fact is that – thanks to its dual-clutch – I-Shift Dual Clutch is most useful in conditions that require a lot of shifting. The gearbox’s seamless shifts improve driveability tremendously,” said Jeff Bird.
So which one won? We won’t spoilt it…
And here’s the behind the scenes footage of how the video was made:
