The Acropolis Rally Greece (officially known as BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally of Greece) is a rally competition on the World Rally Championship schedule. The rally is held on very dusty, rough and rocky mountain roads around the city of Athens during the hot Greek summer period. The highlight of the rally is the super special stage in Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. The rally is known for being extremely tough on the competing cars and drivers. In 2005, it was announced Rally of the Year.
The Acropolis Rally has been held for 51 years by the Greek motorsports organization Elliniki Leshi Periigiseon ke Aftokinitou (ELPA), making it one of the longest-standing in world rallying. Many famous rallying individuals have won this event including Walter Röhrl, Björn Waldegård, Ari Vatanen, Stig Blomqvist, Juha Kankkunen and Carlos Sainz, among others. Due to the nature of the rally, with a mix of rough, twisty mountain stages and coupled with blistering heat and choking dust, the Acropolis Rally is one of the toughest on the world rally circuit. Cars that are used in this race have to be built with extra sturdiness in order to cope with the fast but rock-strewn stages. Drivers and co-drivers also have to contend with the pounding terrain and high summer temperatures which often reach 50°C within the cockpit. In 2005, a new stage was introduced; a superspecial held within the Olympic Stadium, Athens. In the 2007 season, the superspecial was held in the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre.
