Whoa.

This is a Volvo FH. That was a Koenigsegg One:1.

I'm Tiff Needell, driving the world's first truck with a dual-clutch gearbox

based on sports car technology.

Coming up, I test-drive a Volvo FH with the new I-Shift Dual Clutch gearbox

at the Ring Knutstorp race circuit in Sweden,

and we also get to borrow the world's first megacar, a Koenigsegg One:1,

for an ultimate duel,

where I challenge Koenigsegg's test driver to a race.

I reckon we can do one lap in the truck

faster than the Koenigsegg can do two.

Now, I know what you're thinking.

On the one hand we have a state-of-the-art heavy haulage machine,

the Volvo FH,

on the other, the streamlined Koenigsegg One:1,

two totally different vehicles built for totally different purposes.

So why bring a super car to a truck test?

Well, Volvo claim that under the hood of this truck

lies the heart of a sports car.

So I'm here to see if there's any sense in that claim.

What better candidate for a comparison than the Koenigsegg One:1,

the first ever megacar?

In racing and sports cars, this sort of gearbox technology

has been around since the mid '80s,

its main purpose to provide faster acceleration,

a pretty nifty feature in a racing car.

But in a truck, its function is a little bit more than that.

Having spent most of my life

behind steering wheels of various racing, sports

and even Formula One cars,

I see myself as a fairly competent test driver.

But to help me with some of the technicalities of the truck,

I've brought along an expert on the subject.

Jeff Bird, Volvo Trucks press test director,

who's gonna tell me all about this wonderful new gearbox.

I certainly am, Tiff, but I'm a little concerned

about what you have planned for us.

The challenge. No, don't worry about that. We'll sort that out later.

First let's drive this truck. I think I'd better get down to work.

Release the handbrake and we're ready to drive.

Hey.

Oh, bit narrow here.

It feels too big to me, Jeff.

Not at all. You can handle this, Tiff, no problem.

Hairpin.

Squealing tyres already.

Does it have a kick-down or not?

Yes, it has a kick-down. Just press that pedal to the floor.

Open the throttle and that is frisky. It leaps off.

Acceleration is impressive for a truck.

Mind you, I'm not carrying a trailer behind me. I'm cheating slightly.

We're only running at eight tons on the track here today.

I tell you, this corners really well.

Very light on the steering and responsive.

I thought I'd be turning like a knob on the wheel to get more lock on.

- Brakes. - Pretty good.

They work. Yeah, OK. I'm having fun. Actually, I'm having too much fun.

We're supposed to be here to talk about this wonderful gearbox.

So if I stop on this hill...

So now I wanna do a hill start. I'm in third gear now.

Gentle acceleration.

Four, I didn't feel that. Five... I haven't felt a single gear change.

Four, five, six, eight.

Seamless gear changes improves drivability and more comfortable.

What are you aiming at, the purpose, the main thing you've introduced?

Trucks don't need to be like racing cars. What's the main aim?

It improves performance, hill-climb performance, acceleration,

but also drivability and comfort, of course.

I'm very comfortable.

Right, where's that Koenigsegg?

OK, Jeff, because these nice people at Koenigsegg

have lent us their first ever megacar,

I thought we ought to have a little challenge.

Yes, that's what's been worrying me all day.

Nothing can possibly go wrong.

Look, we obviously can't compare these two vehicles directly,

but I reckon we can do one lap in the truck

faster than the Koenigsegg can do two.

So it's us in an eight-ton truck

racing against one of the fastest cars in the world.

- What could possibly go wrong? - Relax. I'm feeling really confident.

Aren't you, Robert?

See? That's Robert Serwanski. He's Koenigsegg's official test driver.

He's relaxed, and we're about to find out if he's any good or not.

So, just to give you a few numbers.

The car has 1360 horsepower and weighs 1360kg,

which makes it the first ever series produced super car

with a one to one power to weight ratio.

It also has 1371 Newton metres of torque.

The truck has a 540 horsepower engine

that produces 2600 Newton metres of torque,

which is almost double that of the car.

Hey. Feel the torque of the engine.

Fantastic.

Engage gear.

Wait for these lights. How's he looking? A bit small.

I think he's worried, Tiff.

Red lights are coming on.

Five reds. Wait till they go off.

Whoa.

Jeff, we need to accelerate faster. The Koenigsegg's gone.

I've just gone over to 95.

I'd better brake for the corner. Nearly forgot.

Whoa. She's sliding now, Jeff. She's sliding.

He may have accelerated fast,

but he's got all these corners, he's got two laps to do.

It's lovely. This is much more fun than I thought it was ever gonna be.

My God. This is exciting.

Can you see him? Has he disappeared?

He's gone. He's heading down the main straight already.

What do they call this corner?

This is called the idiot corner, justifiably so.

Understeered.

And then it lights up the rear.

We're nearly there. Where's the mirrors?

I can just see him coming.

He's already coming. I can't believe it.

- Go, go, go! - We can hold on.

Here he comes.

He's not coming through there. I've chopped him.

- Oh, no! He's coming this side. - No.

We made it across the finish line in one piece.

We so nearly won that.

But at least we've proved that the Volvo truck

is half as fast as a Koenigsegg One:1.