Behind the wheel

Usually, each World Rally Car has 6 forward gears, which are changed by a sequential shifter mounted on the dashboard (not your conventional hand-height gearstick).
There's a clutch pedal too - but it doesn't get much use other than to drive away from the start line. The drivers push or pull the shifter and let the computers do the rest. Which is just as well. With rally cars travelling at over 200kph, and every tenth of a second saved counting towards your final time, you can't waste time messing around with your feet. A gear-change in a World Rally Car takes 50 milliseconds - that's nearly 10 times faster than a road car.

Engine and transmission

World Rally Cars have the same 2.0 litre engines found in ordinary hatchbacks. It's just that they've been turbo-charged into fire-breathing, terrain-chomping monsters. They're four-wheel drive and have over 3 times more power than your average 100bhp engine. Stopping quickly requires carbon-fibre brake discs that have a bigger diameter than the wheels of a usual car (which means it can stop in an instant).

Tyre choice

For extra grip and safety, World Rally Cars have giant 18 inch tyres, which are changed regularly. It is not unusual to hear of crews changing tyre type seven times in one rally. For asphalt, cars need racing-style, smooth 'slicks', though when it rains they have to be changed to wet-weather grooved tyres. On gravel, the tyre has a chunky tread capable of flinging stones out of the way. For ice, studded tyres are a must.
The tyre companies Pirelli and Michelin also fit anti-deflation systems which, if punctured, fill the tyre with a mousse that expands to prevent deflation and potentially dangerous accidents.