The mix of rough, twisty mountain stages, blistering heat and choking dust makes the BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally the toughest on the calendar. Cars have to be built extra-sturdy to cope with the surprisingly fast, but rock-strewn stages, while drivers and co-drivers have to be at peak physical fitness to cope with the pounding terrain and temperatures in the cockpit that top 50C.

The twisty, boulder-filled stages place huge demands on engine and cockpit cooling, as natural airflow is limited by the slow cornering speeds. The suspension and underside of the car take a huge pounding from the rocks hurled up by the car, but the big issue is tyre wear. Choose too soft a compound, and you'll suffer excess tyre wear. Too hard, and grip reduces, prompting wheelspin and - you've guessed it - excess tyre wear. You need brains to win here, as much as brawn.