Semi-trucks are most commonly spotted lining the highways, transporting tonnes of goods from one location to the next. Whether it's food, hazardous materials, or construction goods, semi-trucks are still one of the most convenient ways of moving significant loads up and down the country. In order to rack up the miles reliably, semi-trucks use turbo-diesel engines. The goal here is to provide the trucks with heaps of low-down torque, which is perfect for towing. Semi-truck engines also need to prove
impressively durable over long periods of time, so that they can cover hundreds of thousands of miles without failure, and for this, large-capacity diesel engines are perfect.
However, instead of covering huge distances at a steady pace, some semi-truck enthusiasts are more interested in pushing the limits of their huge platforms. This can result in some seriously fast semi-trucks, but one stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to show-stopping performance, and it's known as the Volvo Iron Knight.
The Iron Knight was crowned as the world's fastest semi-truck back in 2016, when it claimed the world record in both the standing 500-meter and kilometer (1,000-meter) categories, in addition to cracking a top speed of 171 mph. Considering that most semi-trucks will rarely see north of 65 mph, this puts the mighty Volvo's achievement into some perspective. The records set by the Iron Knight have also been standing for very close to a decade now, which suggests the powerful Volvo has little in the way of competition.
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A Closer Look At The Volvo Iron Knight
There is no shortage of powerful semi-truck engines which produce loads of torque, but none of them compare to what's lurking beneath the Iron Knight's aggressive body panels. The Volvo is powered by a 12.8-liter inline-six turbo-diesel engine, which is capable of generating up to 4,425 lb-ft of torque, in addition to a hypercar-busting 2,400 horsepower. To put that last figure into perspective, this Volvo is as powerful as two Bugatti Veyron Super Sports.
It might not be as fast as the Bugatti, but like the Veyron, this Volvo is also pretty iconic in speed-record circles. It managed to hit 81.57 mph in just 500 meters, and then 105 mph over 1,000 meters -- both of which saw the Iron Knight become a record holder. These attempts were both from a standstill, and were overseen by the FIA - International Federation of Automobiles.
Part of the Volvo's secret is the bespoke transmission it uses. Seamless shifts are important when trying to crack speed records over such short distances, as laggy changes will lead to a loss of momentum. So, the Iron Knight sports an especially created I-Shift dual-clutch transmission. It also boasts custom bodywork for enhanced aerodynamics, much of which is crafted from lightweight materials, like fiberglass, in order to boost performance. It was also piloted by Boije Ovebrink -- a European Truck Racing champion - for the record attempts.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
