2016 Audi RS7 Vs. Burj Khalifa Elevator: Video

TopSpeed

By Kirby Garlitos

Published Nov 27, 2015

Audi Middle East->ke14 is no stranger to cooking up weird stunts to get attention. More often than not, the firm succeeds in getting its point across, even if it’s done through unconventional methods. Evidently, having an Audi RS7 race an elevator at the Burj Khalifa qualifies as “unconventional.”

The video is part of Audi Challenges Arabia, a series of challenges Audi fans in the region try to cook up for Audi to complete. For this particular challenge, the RS7->ke3727 is going to race against Burj Khalifa’s elevator, considered as one of the fastest elevators in the world with a speed of 10 meters per second. The objective of the race is simple: Audi Sport driver Edoardo Mortara is to race the the 560-horsepower, V-8-powered RS7 up the Jebel Hafeet road until it reaches the finish line at 1,249 meters above sea level. Meanwhile, Musa Khalfan Yasin, the UAE’s fastest 100-meter sprinter, is to ride the Burj Khalifa’s elevator up to the 152nd floor before making a full sprint to the finish line. Whoever crosses the line first wins. Pretty simple, right?

For its part, Audi made it look like a competitive race, even concluding that both Mortara and Yasin crossed the line at the exact same time. But, as dramatic as that might have been, I’m pretty sure that a lot of post-production editing took place to make it look exciting on the final cut.

I don’t know for certain if the RS7 or the elevator won, but if I were to make a guess, I’d give it to the latter. Going up 10 meters per second is pretty quick, even if it’s only the third quickest in the world. A quick calculation of the times means that Yasin would’ve finished the elevator ride and the mad sprint to the finish line in a little under 90 seconds. I don’t know the RS7’s time up Jebel Jafeet, but considering the uphill climb and the winding roads, I’d say it would’ve taken a little over 90 seconds to complete.