Mitsubishi out to beat the Cyprus challenge.

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart is at full strength for the Rally of Cyprus, with all three drivers pleased with their car setup on yesterday's recce, as they head into Friday's first leg.

Cyprus promises to be nothing but hard work for the drivers. The narrow, rocky tracks winding through the Troodos Mountains are so twisty that the average speed is lower than on any other World Championship rally, while ferocious early summer heat imposes huge strains on cooling systems, tyres and the crews themselves. Although the route is shorter than on any other World Championship round, winning will certainly not come easily.

Finns Tommi Makinen and Risto Mannisenmaki are leading the World Championship in their Michelin-shod Lancer Evolution and are in confident form after a useful test in Cyprus.

"We did a good test, changed quite a lot on the car and it's looking good. It turns in well, which is important on these twisty roads. The heat is going to be hard for cooling systems and tyres though," Makinen predicted.

Belgian stars Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets are also hoping for a good result, building on the experience gained last year and strong results earlier this season in their Carisma GT.

"It's a little bit quicker but it's also rougher than last year. There are a lot of rocks on the road. The car is good. I did a test just before the recce and everything felt fine," Loix stated.

The Cyprus Rally will be a big occasion for Japan's Katsuhiko Taguchi. Co-driven by Scotsman Derek Ringer, it will be his first drive in the Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team, his first in Europe and his first in such rough conditions.

"As it is my first time in the team and my first time in Europe, I really want to finish the rally and gain experience. There are a lot of new things for me, but at least the heat shouldn't be a problem: I've done lots of rallies in Malaysia and I'm used to that," Taguchi commented.

The rally begins in Limassol on Friday, for what may easily prove the toughest leg. Competitors face 137 kilometres of flat-out driving, with three of the six stages covering more than 30 kilometres.