Volvo has employed the services of former action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme to demonstrate a steering system for its FM-series trucks.
Claimed to “demonstrate the stability and precision of Volvo Dynamic Steering”, the clip shows Van Damme, arms crossed, carry out his trademark split between two reversing trucks.
Volvo claims the stunt, filmed in one take in Spain on a closed-off landing field, has never been done before, with the 53-year-old Belgian referring to the move as “the most epic of splits”.
Volvo Dynamic Steering uses an electronically controlled electric motor attached to the steering shaft to deliver what the Swedish car maker calls “perfect steering feel”, ensuring that no road surface interference is allowed to reach the steering wheel.
It’s not the first time Volvo trucks has employed a brave sole for a stunt. Last year an ad designed to show the precise handling of its new Volvo FH series saw world record-holding highliner Faith Dickey perform a wire-walk between two trucks while they travelled at 80km/h towards a tunnel.