What it’s like to travel in the fastest truck in the world

For the first time, the fastest truck in the world has visited Spain to drive the curves of Madrid’s Jarama Circuit. Dubbed “The Iron Knight,” the vehicle has a few world records and has opened its doors to motor journalists.

Volvo and Goodyear have allowed journalists to become co-pilots of Boije Ovebrink, European Truck Champion in 1994. To enter the cabin of the Iron Knight, you have to sit in racing seats, in addition to protecting yourself with a five-buckle seat belt and a helmet.

Aboard the fastest truck in the world

The Swede has at his disposal a dashboard full of buttons and controls. He drives the fastest truck in the world. When he starts it, thunder sounds from his powerful engine.

The ride consists of two laps around the track, during which the Iron Knight cannot unleash its full potential, in order to preserve the Jarama asphalt and respect the sound limits. But at one and a half meters from the ground, the sensation of speed is not as acute as in performance vehicles designed (and prepared) for the racetrack.

From the competition seat, life outside seems to slow down. When the time comes to brake, the truck stops smoothly thanks to its ceramic disc brakes.

A 2,400 HP engine

The starting point for The Iron Knight is Volvo’s current FH series. This tractor unit stands out for having a lowered cabin whose aerodynamics have been optimized by using fiberglass in the body and a custom-made tubular structure.

The heart of the Iron Knight is a 13-liter six-cylinder engine with four turbos. It is capable of reaching 2,400 HP and has a torque of 6,000 Nm. Its maximum speed is 276 km/h, and it works along with the dual-clutch I-Shift transmission, used by Volvo FH trucks, which has been reinforced for this unit.

Volvo has installed a new liquid cooling system and has changed the location of the engine: it is now behind the cabin to reduce the vehicle’s aerodynamic resistance.

Goodyear tires

The Iron Knight is equipped with Goodyear directional tires measuring 315/70R22.5. The 495/45R22.5 traction tires have been chosen for their ability to withstand the engine torque of 6,000 Nm.

They are based on Goodyear racing truck tires, the same ones used in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC). The casings, however, are the same ones used by transporters and fleets that travel the roads.

The two world records

The Iron Knight broke a couple of world records in 2016. In the first of them, it covered 1,000 meters in 21.29 seconds, reaching an average speed of 169.09 km/h. In the second, it covered 500 meters in 13.71 seconds.

While breaking these records, the fastest truck in the world reached a top speed of 276 km/h, a speed that, until now, no other truck has surpassed.

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