Who wouldn't say that they are fascinated by speed? Racing and the breaking of land-speed records have fascinated us since the invention of motor vehicles. Recently, Volvo broke not just one, but two records, following a Hollywood-like build up the release of the video of the truck beating the previous records. Here are some facts and notes on the fastest trucks we have seen.

2007 The Wild Viking (1,600 hp)
Norse-Viking descendant, Bojie Ovebrink piloted his red NH16 Volvo dubbed the Wild Viking at Vasteras Airfield, Sweden; setting the new record at 158.8km/h in the 1000m standing category. The Swedish native beat his own previous record, 155.7km/h achieved in 2001.

2008
Talks of improving 2007’s record got under the way between Volvo and Ovebrink. In the meantime, Czech’s truck racing team, Buggyra lead by race ace David Vršecký claims to have overturned Ovebrink’s 2007 record at 170km/h.

2010
Olof Johansson, Volvo’s engineer gets to work by designing a prototype built not only to retake the record but one that can be configured into a hybrid.

Days before the release of NH D16 (1,800 hp), FIA, the governing body of motor sports disallows Buggyra’s results.
Bojie Ovebrink celebrates his 59th birthday by setting two new world records in the standing category on 9 June 2010; 500m: 130.9km/h (beating his previous 130km/h record set in 2001) and 1000m: 166.7km/h at Hultsfred Airport, Sweden.

Fun fact: Bojie Ovebrink was asked to lose 20 kilos for weight reduction measures.

2011 Mean Green (2,100 hp)
Described by Boije to be “like a champagne cork without the sound effect”, Volvo’s Mean Green became the first hybrid to establish the standards for the World Hybrid Truck speed record. The numbers?
115.3km/h (Standing 500m)
152.2km/h (Standing1000m)
218.7km/h (Flying Kilometre)

Fun fact: Mean Green utilizes the same Volvo hybrid drive system powering hundreds of Volvo buses throughout the world-one of them being London’s double decker buses.

2012
27 April 2012 marks the second time Boije Ovebrink drove Volvo’s Mean Green smashing the 1000m record. Driving 4237 feet above sea level, the new figure was 236.6km/h.

Fun fact: The Wendover Airport, where this event was held, happens to be the only remaining fully operational airport of the World War II era in the world.

2016 Iron Knight (2,400 hp)
The Iron Knight is based on a regular-production FH truck, weighing 1,000kg lighter with 600 hp more than Mean Green,
It was built to prove the speed and strength of the I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission the record of 81.6 km/h (0-500m) and 169km/h (0-1,000m), both from a standing start was set at Skellefteå Drive Center, Sweden.

Terminology
Standing Start: The truck starts off from a standstill, spanning the 1,000m course in one direction and then the other.
Flying Start: The truck is in motion prior to spanning the defined 1,000m course in each direction.