VIDEO: Audi R8 screams through the Las Vegas Speedway

The guys over at Fifth Gear get some pretty sweet work assignments, but few match up to Tiff Needell's task of driving the brand-new Audi R8 through cones at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. If you're a fan of Top Gear, you know how well-produced their spots are, and the video enclosed after the jump is just terrific.
Tiff starts off by driving the gorgeous R8 down the Las Vegas strip, and Audi's supercar generated plenty of gawking. Our favorite part of the video comes about 2/3 through, when Tiff swerves through four cones, cuts left, then banks to the right through some tightly arranged cones. Another highlight comes when Needell, on several occasions, manages to kick out the rear end of the mid-engined AWD supercar after turning of the ESP.
Hit the jump to take in the sights and sounds of Fifth Gear getting the most out of the R8. You'll be glad you did.
[Source: Jalopnik]











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nagmashot 10:19AM (5/02/2007)
If Tiff is impressed Audi did a good job!
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car-truck 10:23AM (5/02/2007)
Wow oh wow, i think i need a cigarette.
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MikeW 10:55AM (5/02/2007)
Why did Tiff have the rear fog light on, in the middle of Vegas?
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Josh 10:27AM (5/02/2007)
I'm a fan of both shows, but come on- Fifth Gear and Top Gear aren't the same program; fix the slip in the lead paragraph.
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BKadalur 10:25AM (5/02/2007)
damn...
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Jason 10:33AM (5/02/2007)
Wow. How can a common 911 be more desirable than the R8? I saw an R8 in person on the interstate and it was magnificent.
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iamhoff 10:35AM (5/02/2007)
*Raises hand* I want one! Jesus, that was practically porn!
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jayfields 11:05AM (5/02/2007)
God that car is perfect... but since I can't afford it I will be waiting to get in a new A5 hopefully the pay raise will get the S5
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chuck goolsbee 11:26AM (5/02/2007)
If they build and sell the R4, it will sell like hotcakes.
--chuck
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Moose 12:07PM (5/02/2007)
Tiff is by far the best presenter on the show... Who else has the driving talent to back up their level opinion to this degree? Clarkson is a fatheaded moron whose opinions seem to have more to do with showmanship than logic. The "It's like a on !" whilst ludicrously sliding a given car on a soaked runway. That's helpful... Sorry, don't know how this turned into a Clarkson bash session. Tiff is a rockstar. Fin.
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Gyp Joe 1:30PM (5/02/2007)
Menh...Eurotrash...
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Derek Kreindler 2:28PM (5/02/2007)
Someone tell Honda to forget about making a new NSX, Audi's beaten them to it.
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Namir 2:04PM (5/02/2007)
to #10
clarkson is entertaining but i agree, tiff's racing history gives him more credibility.. him being a former F1 driver and later a teacher to F1 drivers, I tend to agree with whatever he says
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FLR 2:44PM (5/02/2007)
I realize that Porche buyers don't cross-shop Corvettes, and the same is probably true for Audi buyers. However, a Vette Z06 will eat this car's lunch at the track or at the dragstrip. Heck, I believe a regular Vette will give this car a run for it's money...at a 66% cost savings, especially the 2008 LS3 version.
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Matt 4:29PM (5/02/2007)
What is the time left when he does the move mentioned in the post?
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nagmashot 6:35PM (5/02/2007)
#14 that Audi does 7:55min at the Ring... the normal C6 8:15min driven by sportauto... the acceleration is the same and the R8 has a higher topspeed 187mph > 180mph...
what people always forget.. no one buys a R8 only for perfromance, they buy a package, style, finish quality, perfromance, thechnology, comfort, history ... that is the reason for the price different. If I would focus on track perfromance only I would buy a Radical SR3 or SR8 and would eat a Z06 to breakfast and again at lunch for half the price and mor fun to drive.. and in Europe street legal..
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Warren 5:06AM (5/03/2007)
Tiff Needell is a superb driver. I'd hardly call him an ex-F1 driver (he only ever qualified for one, so I wouldn't call it a career.) That piece of film was the only quality feature in the show.
Then again, the quality of the latest season of Top Gear was absolutely appalling. I'm surprised they didn't have an R8 on there.
Presumably they were too busy 'staging' accidents in home-made limos.
Both shows need alot of work to bring them up to scratch.
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Eriq 9:06PM (5/02/2007)
#14 - I don't understand why certain people try to compare a Corvette to an Audi/Porsche. The R8 will outperform a Corvette in overall handling, performance and overal style/detail. A Corvette could NOT--I repeat NOT--handle around those cones like the R8 can. All a Corvette can do best is STRAIGHT LINE speed and that's boring. Sure, Corvette's are fast--and that's all they have going for them. No style, detail or personality inside. They're soul-less. Go race a Saleen Mustang, or something.
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