Sebastien Loeb has won the Rally of New Zealand after a dramatic final day which saw the two leading cars strike problems.
Ford drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen, who were first and second overnight, both lost control of their cars on the second to last stage, a 30 kilometre section along gravel roads near Raglan.
Their mistakes allowed Citroen's Loeb to convert a 15 second deficit at the start of the day into a 17 second victory.
Four times world champion Loeb says was not expecting to win after getting off to a bad start to the final day of the three day rally, spinning out in the first stage and dropping a further 10 seconds back.
Citroen's Dani Sordo was second with Hirvonen third.
The win extends Loeb's lead in the world championship to eight points over Hirvonen.