Autoblog

Crazy woman tightrope walks between two moving semis to sell Volvo Trucks

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

We can think of plenty of good uses for long stretches of empty highway under construction, but performing a death-defying tightrope stunt between two semis is nowhere on our list. Now this isn't just any regular stunt, as Volvo Trucks enlisted world record-holding funambulist Faith Dickey and Hollywood stunt coordinator Peter Pedrero to come up with a video that helps shows off the "precision and control" of its new FH series semi trucks. (Yes, even truck companies are now trying to use viral videos to peddle their wares.)

It wouldn't be an exciting video if she walked a tightrope between the trucks as they were sitting still, and it obviously still wasn't good enough to film the stunt with the trucks simply driving on a flat, boring airport runway. Instead, the trucks are cruising down a deserted stretch of highway in Croatia barreling toward a divided tunnel in a mountain face at just under 80 km/h (close to 50 mph). Dickey is wearing a safety cable in case she falls off during the stunt, but with each truck heading into a separate tunnel, the tether won't help much if the rope breaks.

While you're watching the video below to see how Dickey and the new Volvo Trucks perform, we'll be on the phone with the passenger car side of Volvo to see if we can spend some time on this same Croatian stretch of road with a Polestar-tuned S60.

Continue reading Crazy woman tightrope walks between two moving semis to sell Volvo Trucks

Crazy woman tightrope walks between two moving semis to sell Volvo Trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch Volvo's hybrid semi-truck set a land speed record

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Videos, Volvo, Specialty

Volvo is taking its Mean Green hybrid truck on U.S. tour for a few months. One of the stops between Toronto Tuck World and the Volvo Ocean Race in Miami was Wendover, Utah, to attempt a couple of record-breaking speed runs.

Mean Green uses a tuned version of Volvo's DI6 engine, an inline 6-cylinder that puts out 1,900-horsepower, tied to an electric motor that adds 200 hp and 885 pound-feet. With that package, the Swedish Viking Speed Records Team and pilot Boije Overbrink were aiming for 165 miles per hour in the flying kilometer. They didn't quite make that lofty goal, but they did well enough to break not one, but two world records. Scroll down for the story of the day.

Continue reading Watch Volvo's hybrid semi-truck set a land speed record

Watch Volvo's hybrid semi-truck set a land speed record originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo truck takes on a Ferrari in drag race [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Europe, Videos, Volvo, Ferrari, Racing

It seems these days everyone wants a piece of Ferrari, with countless sports car-makers gunning for Maranello's territory. But Volvo? Volvo Trucks, no less?

Believe it or not, the latest drag race competition pitted a Volvo big-rig against a Ferrari 360 Spider. Of course it wasn't just any old run-of-the-mill tractor, but the Mean Green hybrid racing truck. The beast packs a 16-liter twin-turbo engine that cranks out 1,900 horsepower and is further boosted by a 200hp electric motor.

An even match? You'll have to follow the jump to watch the photo finish for yourself, but the result was closer than you might think.

Continue reading Volvo truck takes on a Ferrari in drag race [w/video]

Volvo truck takes on a Ferrari in drag race [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo semi-truck sets land speed record

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Racing

The Bugatti Veyron, a passenger car, will exceed 250 miles-per-hour whenever you feel like it. A decent number of other cars will break 200 without concern. In the picture above, however, is a warp speed mountain of metal that Boije Overbrink used to break the semi-truck land speed record, doing so at all of 155 mph.

And in fact, the Volvo semi with the 2,000 horsepower and 3,687 lb-ft didn't even go 155 mph - it only got up to 103.84 mph at the end of a kilometer. But instead of running a truck at a course long enough to truly test top speed, its speed is averaged over the length of the course. Voila, FIA certification at 155 mph and the fastest Good Buddy in all the land. Congratulations Mr. Overbrink.

[Source: Motobullet]

Volvo semi-truck sets land speed record originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Volvo has 13-liter engine, 500 horsepower

Zach Bowman — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Europe, Work, Volvo

Volvo FMX - Click above for high-res image gallery

No, we didn't miss a decimal point. Volvo (well, Volvo Trucks, to be more precise) has just pulled one very big sheet off of a new heavy-duty construction truck called the FMX. The leviathan bears a host of features designed to help it excel on the manufacturing and construction sites of Europe, including impressive ground clearance, substantial skid plates and one badpush-bar. Of course, there's also that impressive engine.

Volvo will let you equip your very own FMX with either an 11-liter powerplant capable of anywhere between 330 and 450 horsepower or a 13-liter lump with 380-500 horsepower depending on configuration. The larger of the two engines produces around 1,800 lb-ft of torque - more than both the 2011 Ford Super Duty and 2011 Chevrolet Duramax combined.

The FMX also comes with i-Shift - unique gearbox programming that senses the truck's load, then adjusts gear ratios accordingly to climb or descend hills. It will also let you rock the vehicle back and forth to get free of sticky mud or loose sand.

Yes, Volvo says the FMX is built to boost the company's presence in the construction market, but we're thinking those three- millimeter-thick bumpers would stand up well in your run-of-the mill post-apocalyptic scenario. Zombies, militias, recession-induced governmental collapse - the FMX could handle it all. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Volvo FMX

[Source: Volvo Trucks]

Continue reading New Volvo has 13-liter engine, 500 horsepower

New Volvo has 13-liter engine, 500 horsepower originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Half of all European truck drivers don't wear their seatbelts

Zach Bowman — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:19:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Europe, Government/Legal, Work, Volvo

Volvo truck during crash testing - Click above for high-res image

New research has revealed that up to 50 percent of European truck drivers don't buckle up when they hit the road. A study by CEASAR Research Institute discovered that seatbelt use among truck drivers varies widely from country to country - from as little as 10 percent to better than 70 percent - it all averages out to the fact that around half of the long-haul drivers don't use their belts.

The study also attempted to figure out why the usage rates were so low. Not surprisingly, there's something of a stigma attached to strapping yourself into a big rig, with some drivers believing they're safer in a large mass vehicle compared to a small passenger car. Even so, the CEASAR study claims that traffic fatalities among truck drivers could be decreased by as much as 40 percent if drivers simply took the time to click it.

Of the countries surveyed, France had the highest seatbelt usage - 70 percent - thanks largely to the fact that the country has legislation on the books to encourage drivers to be safe. Driving without a seatbelt in France will net you points on your license. Too many points, and you're walking to work. Hop the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Volvo]

Continue reading Study: Half of all European truck drivers don't wear their seatbelts

Study: Half of all European truck drivers don't wear their seatbelts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo Trucks roll down the catwalk (down the catwalk, yeah)

Noah Joseph — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Volvo

Click for hi-res gallery of Volvo Trucks clothing

Trucker chic isn't exactly the same in Europe as it is in America, where every tool with a practical-joke or retro-themed television show is punkin' out the mesh-backed trucker hats. Case in point: the new apparel collection launched by Volvo Trucks.

Although the fashion-forward collection might seem more aligned with Volvo's latest passenger cars than commercial vehicles, remember that, since 1999, the two divisions are separately owned (one independent, the other by Ford... for now) and both share the same name and logo. Commendably, Volvo Trucks didn't just slap its name on some t-shirts and backpacks and called it a day. The recently launched collection consists of more than 100 items, on which the company's designers collaborated with ~~IKEA~~ fashion designers for over a year. The line includes leather jackets sporting shoulder sections modeled on the company's trademark grille and watches shaped like the cabin's instruments. Clever, eh? We don't know who is driving the big-rigs on that side of the pond, but the Volvo Trucks collection has things for the whole family, including men, women and even children - like baby tees with UV protection to safeguard their fair Swedish skin. The items are available via the company's online shop at www.volvotrucks.com/merchandise. In the meantime, you can check out the press release after the jump and the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Volvo Trucks collection

[Source: Volvo Trucks]

Continue reading Volvo Trucks roll down the catwalk (down the catwalk, yeah)

Volvo Trucks roll down the catwalk (down the catwalk, yeah) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wheeled Spaceship - Volvo BeeVan concept

Dan Roth — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Work

They're going to have to change the name of this thing to NCC-1701, because piloting it will definitely make you feel like you're boldly going where no one's gone before. As part of the Michelin Design Challenge competition, Volvo has revised the design of the the traditional big-rig tractor. Serious thought was given to improving driver safety and some semi-radical changes to convention were made. The driver is front and center in the cab, just like F1 cars. The central seating position gives an expansive 180 degree field of vision; Volvo calls it the Full View Driver Position. There are blind spot cameras, as well as sensors to detect other vehicles, lane tracking, and driver alertness. The doors open by sliding, rather than flapping out into traffic, and a set of steps comes out from hiding, allowing ease of ingress. The seat motors back and rotates toward the opened door, making the driver feel like a transportation deity.

More after the jump.

[Source: dexigner.com]

Continue reading Wheeled Spaceship - Volvo BeeVan concept

Wheeled Spaceship - Volvo BeeVan concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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