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
@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!
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.
@@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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 😜
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!
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…
@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!
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!!
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
@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.
I saw Tiff the other day at Thruxton, he's looking well! £155 for 3 hot laps with him driving a BMW M4....way out of my price range, but good to watch all the same!
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 😂.
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.
@@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.
@@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.
@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.
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.
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.
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!
Tiff can drive.
That car is an animal, especially in that state of tune.
These things were pumping out well over 600hp in Australia in their racing heyday. Good times.
They got to that here eventually as well
THATS when watching touring cars was GOOD! watching these and them volvo T5s!
Why would 11 people thumbs down this!? It's a great little piece of motoring history!
Now up to 28 and still a mystery.
@n9brc BMW E30 M3 owners
The sort of people that are unaware of manually selected gears.
Two of those were from the rear tyres....
It's the drink drivers!
When top gear had brains and not muppets
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
They ended up having Cosworths doing 200+mph! A 200mph Sierra HAS to be a truly terrifying but equally incredibly fun drive.
If I ever got a chance to meet a famous Pom ..Tiff would be that person . What a legend .
@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!
what a fantastic engine that Cosworth was...
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.
Powerful, tough - yes - but a coarse nail, just like the standard Pinto donk.
when top gear..... WAS top gear!!!!!
Yea crap....
utter shit yeah.
@@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.
@@jonelson1983 no it wasn't, you're just a moron
@@ant2312 Thanks mate for your valued input.
Mk1 ,mk2 Rs escorts and Sierra ,escort cosworths are the most iconic cars above the rest to date
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
MAN, That dude can drive!
I miss old top gear
All TV is accessible these days go for it
so well mannered and soft spoken yet such a bad ass driver
Tiff.... You were an absolute animal behind the wheel.
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.
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.
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.
I’ve been in a 400bhp Sierra cosworth (not an rs500) but it was scary
Quando le auto da corsa
Le
Compravi al
Concessionario.. 💪
this is the most epic car ever.. Period
ahhhh i miss proper top gear.
Aussie Dick Johnson's Sierras won at 1,000 km's [620 mls], now that's more of a true endurance race !
The mans an absolute legend!!!Amazing driver and comes across as a really decent bloke too!!!
I like his nervous laugh at 6:13 !!!!
Great car tiff had his hand full. Great driver and a true gent meet him a Goodwood FOS 2 years ago
Look how responsive it is on boost, like holy hell its fast like a rocket. No lag.
10 years on and there's still no flies on Tiff, if there are, they're paying rent.
i miss the oldschool touring cars with no real downforce, just mechanical grip. you can see how loose it can get.
Respect to Tiff 😎
Shit that Tiff can drive!
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 😜
What a legend for uploading these classic top gear videos, I was 4 years old when this came out.
This TopGear theme is better than the modern theme.
I miss this car. Beast of an engine.
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
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!
Ghost Assassin 100% agree. Clarkson’s ego ruined TG
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.
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…
My favorite era of touring car. Those cars are total beasts.
I miss the old Top Gear format , the new format has had its day now . Bring back Tiff , Tony , Steve and Vicky .
Back in the 1980's... every day, was a cloudy day.
Unbelievable how much steering input these old schools cars had to have.
@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!
My dad had a cosworth when I was little...but I was too young to remember :-(
Yes tiff needell won his first btcc race during the endurance race edition of donington park where he shared with Laurence bristow
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!!
Hernan Moser ....too true
oh, the sound of straight cut gears...
What an awesome episode, wish this was in HD!
NIce driving Tiff, regret never owning a Ford Cosworth Escort or Sierra Amazing cars for their time.
What a car the RS is and still is
First time I’ve seen this, brilliant vid!
What a machine! ❤
When Top Gear was actually about motoring and the motorist.
awesome car.. I have a Sierra ghia 2.3 and i love it.
Tiff's the man. I don't think I'd ever even be able to change gear as well as him!
Love that car, ....and tiff ofcourse.
my favorite car in Project Cars
That was my first car (but the sedan, unfortunately). I liked it so much ...
I was expecting Clarkson to pop out of nowhere and say "Cozzie" in a Yorkshire accent.
Remember when people used to watch motorsport?
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
BEST FORD ON THE PLANET!
Great driver.
@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.
Hope it goes well for you bro..... can't wait for the next video ❤❤
Top of its era
haha look at him fighting with the wheel, wicked!
What a handful.. I want one
BEAUTIFULL !!
I wish I still had mine
Tiff Is a legend
A lot of cars have come since the Sierra Cosworth but it's still a damn cool car!!!!
Tiff is the man
I felt like I was there!
What a machine
I love how he explains an additional 250hp with tuning
Tiff's the GOAT.
Ah - the Sierra! Great car - my first ever car was a 2.0 GLSi DOHC. Rear wheel drive - RIP!
I saw Tiff the other day at Thruxton, he's looking well! £155 for 3 hot laps with him driving a BMW M4....way out of my price range, but good to watch all the same!
A snip to be honest, for a memory as such, although i'd of been the same. Legend.
@@bowlock9901 Absolutely, and when you hear him talking to people, he's such a friendly and down to earth guy.
500hp! :)
This is why I always preferred Fifth Gear vs Top Gear, the hosts really knew their stuff but also could really drive!
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 😂.
I wish they had this car in Gran Turismo 5!.
woo rs500 cosworth, awesome car!
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.
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..
Hehe yeah time marches on doesn’t it
Modern cars are much heavier...
@@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.
@@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.
Proper cars in the 80s for REAL drivers.
What a car
is tat Murray Walker doing the BTCC commentary?
it is indeed the great man himself
i love touring cars from the 80's and earler 90's there fuckin great...best cars ever made and the best looking..
Bring back race cars that have to be fought round the circuit.
They make far better racing.
@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.
My 1.6L was a handful on a wet roundabout.
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.
Think in later spec they managed to get 550bhp out of that engine - incredible.
i would so give up my focus for 1 off these lol
The very definition of "a handful" to drive
Brrm brrm lol I saw these cars at brands hatch late 80s was magic time for touring cars
That Cosworth looks a handful. 😎
Group A
Tiffs the business
rs 500 is one off the best cars ford has ever made,
Wonder what lap times tiff was putting in at brands? Looked pretty quick
Tiff!!!!!!!
500BHP still sounds bonkers almost 40 years later