Tiff Needell on Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Group A (Top Gear 1989)

Young Tiff Needell, then Top Gear Presenter with Jeremy Clarkson et al, talks about his 500hp Sierra Touring Car.

[@FrodoFett]

Needell is such a smooth driver, seeing him fight the RS500 makes it clear how much of a beast the Grp A cars were to drive. Great video, thank you!

[@johnevison6063]

Tiff can drive. That car is an animal, especially in that state of tune.

[@raymondrayban]

THATS when watching touring cars was GOOD! watching these and them volvo T5s!

[@funnystuff9954]

When top gear had brains and not muppets

[@bugproductions9050]

These things were pumping out well over 600hp in Australia in their racing heyday. Good times.

[@Mikeb1001]

They got to that here eventually as well

[@n9brc]

Why would 11 people thumbs down this!? It's a great little piece of motoring history!

[@resnonverba137]

Now up to 28 and still a mystery.

[@Alex-1750]

@n9brc BMW E30 M3 owners

[@fst-timer7107]

The sort of people that are unaware of manually selected gears.

[@warrenmargetson597]

Two of those were from the rear tyres....

[@truckspank656]

It's the drink drivers!

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

The Sultan of Skid. Little did we realise he'd still be sliding and chatting to camera 30 odd years later. We love you Tiff.

[@paulgarrett4610]

I remember driving these fantastic cars when i worked at a Ford dealership in the 80's a friend of mine had a cossie all chipped up to 174mph! It was an awesome machine. Such a thrill to drive but sadly could not afford one back then . Those were the days you could work on them yourself not like today with so many computer systems

[@davekennedy6315]

They ended up having Cosworths doing 200+mph! A 200mph Sierra HAS to be a truly terrifying but equally incredibly fun drive.

[@peterdrotos2935]

what a fantastic engine that Cosworth was...

[@theant9821]

the cosworth yb was based on the ford pinto (4 cylinder 8 valve) engine which was a European engine (in escorts, cortinas, capris, etc., though not much in usa, at all), basically a beefed up 2L pinto block with a 16v head and a turbo on the side.

[@AsinineComment]

Powerful, tough - yes - but a coarse nail, just like the standard Pinto donk.

[@rodneymcgiveron]

If I ever got a chance to meet a famous Pom ..Tiff would be that person . What a legend .

[@DAN.eight6]

I miss old top gear

[@domwaller7391]

All TV is accessible these days go for it

[@kamikazekaos]

Mk1 ,mk2 Rs escorts and Sierra ,escort cosworths are the most iconic cars above the rest to date

[@theayatollahofrockandrollah]

so well mannered and soft spoken yet such a bad ass driver

[@michaelhughes3302]

Tiff.... You were an absolute animal behind the wheel.

[@ianstubbs3671]

when top gear..... WAS top gear!!!!!

[@quantumquestthebillionaire1527]

Yea crap....

[@fivenine5905]

utter shit yeah.

[@jonelson1983]

@@technicalthug To be fair, this type of episode wasn't the norm. The majority of the progs were as boring as hell and involved Wollard driving shit cars like the latest 1.1 Metro on earnest road tests. It generally was a shit programme.

[@ant2312]

@@jonelson1983 no it wasn't, you're just a moron

[@jonelson1983]

@@ant2312 Thanks mate for your valued input.

[@MrPreshita]

this is the most epic car ever.. Period

[@FrodoFett]

@LMF5000 : He's fighting to stay in control of the car. Those are corrections and recoveries. A car with that much power is twisting the chassis, breaking the tires loose. Ideally you want to be smooth but to catch the car's movements he has to be quick and proactive instead of reactive. Brilliant work behind the wheel of a monster!

[@LordSandwichII]

MAN, That dude can drive!

[@jacekatalakis8316]

Those RS500s at Bathurst were absolutely, point blank, insanely amazing in 87-88. Say what you want about th Eggenberger cars, if they cheated or not, but the Texaco Sierras were amazing. I can't find a bad livery on an RS500, and you then ha the equally badass Escort RS Cosser on the rally stages too

[@lingchan7877]

Shit that Tiff can drive!

[@jay55148]

What a legend for uploading these classic top gear videos, I was 4 years old when this came out.

[@barryotoole6990]

Great car tiff had his hand full. Great driver and a true gent meet him a Goodwood FOS 2 years ago

[@meanmelons647]

I miss this car. Beast of an engine.

[@DTFilmProductions]

Can get 620bhp at 2.3 bar boost out of this engine and it's quite reliable for racing and 400bhp more than the standard road car

[@mej6519]

ahhhh i miss proper top gear.

[@sammythemod]

The mans an absolute legend!!!Amazing driver and comes across as a really decent bloke too!!! I like his nervous laugh at 6:13 !!!!

[@bmac5085]

Respect to Tiff 😎

[@johnnymossville]

My favorite era of touring car. Those cars are total beasts.

[@Zadster]

2019: Tiff spends all his time on track trying to get cars to go sideways 1989: Tiff spends all his time on track trying to get the RS500 to not go sideways I think the RS500 was the last generation of British Touring Cars that actually looked like they were going scarily fast. Mind boggling that you could just walk into a Ford dealer and essentially buy the same car (minus cage) and run it on the road or chip it, connect the second row of injectors and race it.

[@Karibanu]

That's because they were ridiculously fast until you got to a corner - 500+bhp in a touring car.! there was hardly any GT racing for most of the 80s, so TCs filled the gap. Supertourers did actually look fairly quick once they got the aero kit ( they were faster than the Sierras round a circuit, but slower than the current NGTC cars ), the problem with modern cars is they're so wide they just look smaller than they really are.

[@peterdonoghue8161]

You could do all that stuff and drive it on the street, bananas! The escort cosworth also had goodies like water injection pumps and tank in the boot all disconnected ready for rallying. Awesome era for motoring.

[@ryderm3907]

I’ve been in a 400bhp Sierra cosworth (not an rs500) but it was scary

[@christiancosworth]

Quando le auto da corsa Le Compravi al Concessionario.. 💪

[@arkhsm]

Aussie Dick Johnson's Sierras won at 1,000 km's [620 mls], now that's more of a true endurance race !

[@hernanmunoz]

AMAZING CARS THIS SIERRAS!!! I LOVE THEM!!! FROM PRODUCTION TO A WINNING RACE CAR WITH MINOR CHANGES!! GREAT CAR OF ALL TIMES AND WILL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER!!

[@iannixon2553]

Hernan Moser ....too true

[@richardwilliams5994]

10 years on and there's still no flies on Tiff, if there are, they're paying rent.

[@mister.dynamite]

This TopGear theme is better than the modern theme.

[@benlee2765]

i miss the oldschool touring cars with no real downforce, just mechanical grip. you can see how loose it can get.

[@MyMIXmedia]

Look how responsive it is on boost, like holy hell its fast like a rocket. No lag.

[@ghostassassin1107]

Now this I could watch all day, shame how it went from being about car info into car entertainment. Kind of the same with History, TLC, and the Discovery Channel. I used to learn from their programming as a kid, now though?.......ugh!

[@suitsyousir1980]

Ghost Assassin 100% agree. Clarkson’s ego ruined TG

[@Chalky.]

Old Top gear didn't stop when new Top Gear was made, when it just changed channel, kept most of the presenters and called itself Fifth Gear.

[@BillyBoy444]

I was lucky enough to be a passenger in a car drive by Tiff. It was only a Ford Mondeo but he had it sideways (lift off oversteer) on every corner round malory park. Good memories. That Cosworth though sounds amazing. Be interested to know if it had a dogleg gearbox as it looks like he pulls sixth but must be only 5th gear 😜

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Yes tiff needell won his first btcc race during the endurance race edition of donington park where he shared with Laurence bristow

[@jblack5323]

I remember watching this episode with my dad, and him saying “500 horse power!”. He had a Lotus Cortina at the time and they had around 105bhp which went well back in 89…

[@andybrace4983]

What a car the RS is and still is

[@Roboami]

oh, the sound of straight cut gears...

[@hammertimee777]

@lucrativeelfmongrel TIff changes gear well. He can cruise along in fifth gear. And then ocassionally have fun with the top gear. He's so good he can do a good show in gears!

[@Ed-ty1kr]

Back in the 1980's... every day, was a cloudy day.

[@thatcarguy6190]

What a machine! ❤

[@daddysmith1376]

Unbelievable how much steering input these old schools cars had to have.

[@DamianSix66]

I miss the old Top Gear format , the new format has had its day now . Bring back Tiff , Tony , Steve and Vicky .

[@DonegalOverlanding]

What an awesome episode, wish this was in HD!

[@bernadezi]

NIce driving Tiff, regret never owning a Ford Cosworth Escort or Sierra Amazing cars for their time.

[@NameName-eq7oe]

My dad had a cosworth when I was little...but I was too young to remember :-(

[@richsan4923]

When Top Gear was actually about motoring and the motorist.

[@Bergie_78]

First time I’ve seen this, brilliant vid!

[@cheloalvarez4551]

awesome car.. I have a Sierra ghia 2.3 and i love it.

[@g.j.koster1986]

Love that car, ....and tiff ofcourse.

[@lucrativeelfmongrel]

Tiff's the man. I don't think I'd ever even be able to change gear as well as him!

[@Baron118118]

BEST FORD ON THE PLANET!

[@br33zy771]

my favorite car in Project Cars

[@surantharan1321]

Top of its era

[@tomsmith2209]

Remember when people used to watch motorsport?

[@mrmrdean1]

Great driver.

[@midestinoelmundo]

BEAUTIFULL !!

[@XB10001]

That was my first car (but the sedan, unfortunately). I liked it so much ...

[@badbwoy25]

What a machine

[@DankSi]

Tiff is the man

[@Roadwarrior92]

Tiff Is a legend

[@Stuntman175]

@martinh88 When you're driving a 1100 kg RWD car with 500 hp that has suspension as soft as a brick wall with 5 cm steel plates in it, you're bound to saw with the wheel since the suspension does not absorb the bumps on the road as well as a road car and sends the shock through the steering rack and column into his arms. All racing cars from the 80's do that and most still do today.

[@BurtSampson]

Tiff's the GOAT.

[@1ukjunglednbraver]

i love touring cars from the 80's and earler 90's there fuckin great...best cars ever made and the best looking..

[@jaykay7932]

a friend of mine had the cosworth 500 for his second car, first car being a 1.1 metro which spluttered a lot (im talking 1999). He had the sierra for about a month before he wrote it off. Very quick car

[@LPtheDESTROYER]

What a handful.. I want one

[@thomashumber9762]

Proper cars in the 80s for REAL drivers.

[@Fuzion180]

haha look at him fighting with the wheel, wicked!

[@crazygrainger2006]

I was expecting Clarkson to pop out of nowhere and say "Cozzie" in a Yorkshire accent.

[@peternufc1981]

What a car

[@AdrianoHunter1981]

Hope it goes well for you bro..... can't wait for the next video ❤❤

[@Apidium]

500hp! :)

[@Fuzion180]

woo rs500 cosworth, awesome car!

[@richarddavies4647]

I wish I still had mine

[@team_project_23]

is tat Murray Walker doing the BTCC commentary?

[@grahamhearn19]

it is indeed the great man himself

[@benrenkylosolo5350]

A lot of cars have come since the Sierra Cosworth but it's still a damn cool car!!!!

[@huckcast7175]

I love how he explains an additional 250hp with tuning

[@fordTH7335]

Tiff!!!!!!!

[@michaelstephen819]

Ah - the Sierra! Great car - my first ever car was a 2.0 GLSi DOHC. Rear wheel drive - RIP!

[@toucheturtle3840]

My 1.6L was a handful on a wet roundabout.

[@ChrisRefalo]

@isamike Couldn't agree more, I love the old Group A cars such as the Sierra and the Skyline, they were far more interesting cars and had a lot more in common with standard road cars unlike the current cars which share nothing with their road going versions.

[@petyrkowalski9887]

Modern F1 could learn a lot from these old BTCC cars.... Big power, less tyre grip and longer braking meant fast cars but great close racing and lots or overtaking.

[@theant9821]

Bring back race cars that have to be fought round the circuit. They make far better racing.

[@dannysutton2517]

I felt like I was there!

[@YouPenetrate]

I wish they had this car in Gran Turismo 5!.

[@woodsy555]

Tiffs the business

[@thejannerofplymouth3654]

What a car 🚗

[@markfarnon6742]

Think in later spec they managed to get 550bhp out of that engine - incredible.

[@StockHatchRacing]

Cosworth forever!

[@wcg66]

This is why I always preferred Fifth Gear vs Top Gear, the hosts really knew their stuff but also could really drive!

[@simonsimon325]

Clarkson and co were entertaining in their way, but they did take it into wanky territory that made you feel at times like a tosser by association. Massive nostalgia seeing this version. Memories of the group B rally coverage in the snow. Insane 😂.

[@1979jon]

rs 500 is one off the best cars ford has ever made,

[@Soulvex]

Sitting here at the age of 42, drooling over these icons and then Tiff mentions 225 BHP and instantly think, damn.. my diesel vectra has 244bhp..

[@nickegan3988]

Hehe yeah time marches on doesn’t it

[@toucheturtle3840]

Modern cars are much heavier...

[@Soulvex]

@@toucheturtle3840 indeed, my vectra is heavier than my omega and there is only about 7 years difference, my cars probably weight almost twice that of the sierra rs500 here.

[@Soulvex]

@@feydespiel. no presence on the road is just an opinion and you'd be surprised, turbo kicks in at 1900rpm and has a ton of torque. anyway, i'm in no way comparing them.

[@returnofthestrangers]

500BHP still sounds bonkers almost 40 years later

[@AsinineComment]

That was weird. In all the touring car / Group A racing I watched in the 80s and 90s, I *never* saw anyone continually sawing away at a Sierra's wheel, as much as Needell does in this clip - even on cold tyres. Either the track was covered in detritus, or the car wasn't set up for that track.

[@darwonboyful]

The very definition of "a handful" to drive

[@stevenmcg69]

i would so give up my focus for 1 off these lol

[@domwaller7391]

Brrm brrm lol I saw these cars at brands hatch late 80s was magic time for touring cars

[@MadBadVoodo]

Five Stars!!