New Volvo FL Chased By Bulls
In Volvo Trucks’ new film ‘The Chase’, the Volvo FL distribution truck faces the ultimate test. In the film the truck is chased by bulls in a race through the medieval Spanish town of Ciudad Rodrigo, a small cathedral city in western Spain, “It’s incredible that you can get a truck this size through a town this small,” says precision driver Rob Hunt.
In Volvo Trucks’ series of spectacular tests, the turn has now come to the Volvo FL distribution truck. During the development of the new Volvo FL, top priority was given to making the vehicle as comfortable as possible to drive. In ‘The Chase’ Volvo Trucks aimed to show how easy it is to manoeuvre the new 12-tonne truck in a demanding urban environment by giving precision driver Rob Hunt the task of driving a two kilometre course through the congested streets of Ciudad Rodrigo, near Salamanca – while being chased by a herd of bulls.
“The town is old, the streets are narrow and we drive on slippery cobblestones. To be chased by bulls on top of that is a real challenge,” says Rob Hunt.
During the test in Ciudad Rodrigo, the truck had to maintain a speed of at least 30 kilometres an hour just to keep ahead of the bulls. In certain sections of the course the streets were so narrow that Rob Hunt had to tuck in his rear-view mirrors.
“The bulls maintained a consistently high speed and were really close sometimes, but the truck handled the corners very well so it was just a matter of driving. There was a whole lot happening, but the truck helped me the whole way,” says Rob Hunt.
The safety of both people and animals was the top priority during the spectacular event and all necessary safety precautions were taken.
“The biggest risk was that we were in a town. It was live and we had to make sure that it was safe for both people and animals. With the big rear mirrors I had a good view of the bulls and the bull runners behind me so I could keep a good safe distance. And the automated gearbox made it easy to focus on the driving,” says Rob Hunt.
“The new 12-tonner is a sharp contender in the largest medium-duty distribution segment. The truck is well-thought-out in every detail. Take for instance the smaller wheels, which lower the cab by five centimetres. This gives the driver better visibility all round and makes it easier to get in and out of the cab,” says Tobias Bergman, Product Manager Distribution and Refuse Segment at Volvo Trucks.
The fact that the Volvo FL is specially tailored for fast and agile urban transport was something that precision driver Rob Hunt learned first-hand when he took the starring role in ‘The Chase’.
“For a driver using this truck every day for work its comfortable, for both short-distance and longer trips. It has an automated gearbox and cruise control and it’s easy to steer. The visibility is great; you can see cars, bicycles and pedestrians. This truck definitely makes the driver’s life easier,” says Rob Hunt.
See ‘The Chase’ : http://youtu.be/_BRoU1hw-CU
See the race from Rob Hunt’s perspective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VksjoZKhv4g
Please note that after the run the bulls were retired to a farm outside Guadalajara.
