Motor racing personality Tiff Needell challenges a Koenigsegg One:1 in a Volvo truck
In Volvo Trucks’ new film ‘Volvo Trucks vs Koenigsegg’, motor racing personality Tiff Needell drives a Volvo FH against one of the world’s fastest sports cars – a Koenigsegg One:1. The aim is to put the new I-Shift Dual Clutch gearbox, based on a technique used in sports cars, to the ultimate test.
Beside a Volvo FH – designed for long heavy transport assignments, stands a Koenigsegg One:1 – one of the world’s fastest cars that is capable of 0–400 km/h in less than 20 seconds. Behind the wheel of the truck sits the experienced motor racing personality Tiff Needell, who normally presents the British motoring programme Fifth Gear.
In a few seconds, the two vehicles will come up against each other on the Knutstorp race circuit in southern Sweden, a track known for its hills and sharp curves. To stand a fair chance, the Volvo FH received a minor handicap – the truck will drive one lap while the Koenigsegg drives two. Despite this, the conclusion is still unpredictable.
“Being a racing driver, you’re never afraid. You are always confident in your machinery. I was a bit apprehensive about driving a truck on a racetrack, since I’d never done it before. However, after I had driven it for a while I began to have full confidence in the Volvo,” says Tiff Needell.
The decision to challenge a racing car with a truck is no coincidence. The newly launched transmission in the Volvo FH – the I-Shift Dual Clutch – is based on a technique used in sports cars.
“Matching a Volvo FH against Koenigsegg One:1 was a great challenge, to see if our new gearbox delivers what it promises in terms of driveability,” says Per Nilsson, PR Director at Volvo Trucks.
Without revealing the results, Tiff Needell admits he was impressed by the performance of the truck.
“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.
At Koenigsegg, they had no hesitations in taking up the challenge from Volvo Trucks.
“We are always open to an exciting challenge. At the same time, it was particularly fun to race against a Volvo truck, because we have much more in common than just having sports car technology in our vehicles. We are two Swedish premium brands that are both at the forefront of our different segments,” says Christian von Koenigsegg, founder and CEO of Koenigsegg.
Volvo Trucks Films
Volvo Trucks vs Koenigsegg – see how the race went here:
Volvo Trucks vs Koenigsegg – behind the scenes:
Volvo Trucks vs Koenigsegg – follow Tiff Needell’s race experience behind the scenes:
About the challenge
The challenge took place at the Knutstorp racetrack in southern Sweden. Before the race, 90 km/h speed restrictions in the truck was taken away to give the truck a better chance against the sports car. To create a really exciting challenge in the film, the Volvo FH drives one lap while Koenigsegg One:1 must drive two. The filming took place on a fenced track guarded by security personnel.
About the new Volvo FH on the racetrack
The truck, which was driven without a trailer, weighs eight tonnes, has 540 horsepower and is equipped with I-Shift Dual Clutch. Before the race, the speed limiter of 90 km/h was removed. This meant the truck reached a speed of nearly 130 km/h on the track.
About Koenigsegg One:1
Koenigsegg One:1 is the world’s first mass-produced sports car with one horsepower per kilogram, hence the title ‘Mega car’. One horsepower per kilo is equal to 1360 horsepower at 1360 kilogrammes – a power relationship that no sports car manufacturer has previously achieved. This makes the car one of the world’s fastest. The engine delivers over 1000 Nm of torque between 3,000 and 7,500 rpm, and the car does 0–400 km/h in less than 20 seconds.
About the I-Shift Dual Clutch
I-Shift Dual Clutch is a unique transmission for series-manufactured commercial vehicles, consisting of a gearbox with double clutch, offering smoother and easier driving. It is best suited for long-distance and demanding driving with many gear-changes. I-Shift Dual Clutch can in principle be described as two transmissions that are connected in parallel. When one gear is active in one gearbox, the next gear is pre-selected in the other gearbox. When changing gears, the first clutch just needs to be disengaged at the same time as the other is engaged. This allows gear changes with no interruption in power. The gearbox was launched in Europe in June this year.
About Tiff Needell
Tiff Needell works as a TV presenter on the British motoring programme ‘Fifth Gear’. He has a long career behind him as a racing driver and has driven almost all types of vehicles and in almost every type of competition – everything from Formula One to the Le Mans 24 Hour race.
