Paraglider + Volvo = EXCITEMENT

Volvo is not a brand that you would automatically associate with excitement, but over the years it has come up with a few really good adverts to demonstrate its products. Volvo has now come up with a neat way to demonstrate the smoothness of its new dual-clutch technology and what this can offer to the world of heavy vehicles. Yeah, it does sound about as interesting as watching paint dry, but stay with us please as the Swedish show-off uses a mountain pass and a paraglider to show the world just how smooth its new technology is. If you are wondering what the idea behind the mating of paraglider and truck is, it’s simple - to keep airborne, the paraglider needs a steady speed, no jerking or fits and start; that is if the paraglider wants to avoid a nasty case of road rash as he is dragged along the tarmac by the eighteen-wheeler.

The dual-clutch gearbox, more commonly found in performance cars such as the Porsche GT3 and Ferrari 488, allows for just about instantaneous gearshifts, resulting in no lost speed in between. If you have ever followed an overloaded truck up a steep hill, you cannot have failed to notice how it virtually stops when changing down a gear. This will all amount to better acceleration and thus fuel economy...oh as well as being useful when you are dragging a paraglider up the hill with you.

So, did the stunt work or did the paraglider check into the local hospital for some plastic surgery? The fact that we are publishing this would probably tell you the answer, but check out the video below for absolute confirmation.