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  Home > Rallies > New Zealand
Ballet with rally cars
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New Zealand roadsIf asked from the drivers, New Zealand ranks amongst the best if not the all-time favourite. The roads are smooth, relatively fast and pleasant to drive on, real drivers' stages. It is next to impossible to break the car without going off which guarantees nail-bitingly close fights for the lead and large number of finishers. For example in 2001 edition, not one of 14 entered works drivers did retire.

Roads have interesting camber and are characterized by fast corners in rapid succession. This continual change of direction makes driving look like ballet in a rally car, vehicle drifting from one corner to next with amazing grace and sense of purpose. Unfortunately the event is one of those where first cars are in disadvantage because of loose gravel.

Scenery is striking too, rolling green hills made famous by movies and coastal stages providing unique scenery amongs the WRC rounds. New Zealand is very small country and from commercial point of view event does not represent important market for manufacturers. The good quality of the organisation and unconditional love of the drivers for this long-haul event has ensured it's continued survival.

Old rally plates
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1977 Rally Plate
Rally plate from the inaugural WRC edition of 1977.

Motogard Logo
Event was known as Motogard Rally from 1979 to 1982.

Website
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Official rally website

Previous winners
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 1977:   Bacchelli, Fulvio   Fiat 131 Abarth   87.23 km/h 
 1979:   Mikkola, Hannu   Ford Escort RS1800   81.27 km/h 
 1980:   Salonen, Timo   Datsun 160J   85.34 km/h 
 1982:   Waldegard, Bjorn   Toyota Celica   96.88 km/h 
 1983:   Rohrl, Walter   Lancia Rally 037   88.01 km/h 
 1984:   Blomqvist, Stig   Audi quattro A2   99.57 km/h 
 1985:   Salonen, Timo   Peugeot 205 Turbo 16   105.86 km/h 
 1986:   Kankkunen, Juha   Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2   99.67 km/h 
 1987:   Wittman, Franz   Lancia Delta HF 4WD   85.15 km/h 
 1988:   Haider, Josef   Opel Kadett GSi   79.89 km/h 
 1989:   Carlsson, Ingvar   Mazda 323 4WD   85.02 km/h 
 1990:   Sainz, Carlos   Toyota Celica GT-4 (ST165)   88.07 km/h 
 1991:   Sainz, Carlos   Toyota Celica GT-4 (ST165)   90.68 km/h 
 1992:   Sainz, Carlos   Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD (ST185)   88.53 km/h 
 1993:   McRae, Colin   Subaru Legacy RS   90.64 km/h 
 1994:   McRae, Colin   Subaru Impreza 555   88.73 km/h 
 1995:   McRae, Colin   Subaru Impreza 555   89.87 km/h 
 1997:   Eriksson, Kenneth   Subaru Impreza WRC97   93.47 km/h 
 1998:   Sainz, Carlos   Toyota Corolla WRC   92.08 km/h 
 1999:   Makinen, Tommi   Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI   95.53 km/h 
 2000:   Gronholm, Marcus   Peugeot 206WRC (2000)   99.47 km/h 
 2001:   Burns, Richard   Subaru Impreza WRC2001   100.88 km/h 
 2002:   Gronholm, Marcus   Peugeot 206WRC (2002)   103.39 km/h 
 2003:   Gronholm, Marcus   Peugeot 206WRC (2002)   107.44 km/h 
 2004:   Solberg, Petter   Subaru Impreza WRC2004   97.86 km/h 
 2005:   Loeb, Sebastien   Citroen Xsara WRC   99.35 km/h 
 2006:   Gronholm, Marcus   Ford Focus RS WRC 06   87.64 km/h 
 2007:   Gronholm, Marcus   Ford Focus RS WRC 07   91.09 km/h 
 2008:   Loeb, Sebastien   Citroen C4 WRC   88.51 km/h 
 2010:   Latvala, Jari-Matti   Ford Focus RS WRC 09   97.43 km/h 
 2012:   Loeb, Sebastien   Citroen DS3 WRC   101.43 km/h 
 2022:   Rovanpera, Kalle   Toyota GR Yaris Rally1   97.89 km/h 
ballet
(Click picture to see larger version in a pop-up window)
Composite picture of rally ballet Click picture to see larger version in a pop-up window
Flowing New Zealand roads
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Continuously from one corner to the next one over smooth road surface with changing camber - this is why drivers love these roads. Click picture to see larger version in a pop-up window
(Photo: SWRT.COM)
hills
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Rolling green hills and rally car Click picture to see larger version in a pop-up window
coast
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Coastal stages provide breathtaking scenery Click picture to see larger version in a pop-up window
Driver wins
  Gronholm, Marcus (5)
  Sainz, Carlos (4)
  Loeb, Sebastien (3)
  McRae, Colin (3)
  Salonen, Timo (2)
  Bacchelli, Fulvio (1)
  Blomqvist, Stig (1)
  Burns, Richard (1)
  Carlsson, Ingvar (1)
  Eriksson, Kenneth (1)
  Haider, Josef (1)
  Kankkunen, Juha (1)
  Latvala, Jari-Matti (1)
  Makinen, Tommi (1)
  Mikkola, Hannu (1)
  Rohrl, Walter (1)
  Rovanpera, Kalle (1)
  Solberg, Petter (1)
  Waldegard, Bjorn (1)
  Wittman, Franz (1)
Manufacturer wins
  Subaru (6)
  Toyota (6)
  Peugeot (5)
  Ford (4)
  Citroen (3)
  Lancia (2)
  Audi (1)
  Datsun (1)
  Fiat (1)
  Mazda (1)
  Mitsubishi (1)
  Opel (1)
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