Flushed with success after his win at the WRC Safari Rally in Kenya and as he prepares to race in rally-mad Finland tomorrow, Colin McRae talks to Daniel Attwood about the driving force and the passion thathas spurs him on.
A house in Monaco overlooking the harbour, a family home created from a renovated monastery in Majorca and an undriven Lamborghini Murcielago waiting in the drive for its new owner to fly home in his recently purchased five-seat helicopter.
With 25 World Rally Championship (WRC) wins under his belt, Colin McRae is officially the most successful rally driver of all time and has all the lifestyle trappings to complement his position. So why does he continue to push himself to the limits, what has he left to prove?
The very psyche of the man is driven by his competitive, die-hard nature. Asked recently to consider a duel to prove who is the better driver, himself or Michael Schumacher, he accepted without hesitation. The only difficulty he sees is how to fairly pit the world's top F1 driver against the top WRC driver.
Colin's ready acceptance of the challenge, despite the fact that his F1 experience extends to only a spin round Silverstone in a Jordan's F1 car, reveals his unwavering faith in his ability and his determination to win.
A top rally driver must be self-disciplined, explains McRae. "You have to really concentrate on concentrating, and that is not something that comes easily." The recent Safari rally, one of the Scotsman's favourite rallies, is a prime example of where long sections often induce lapses of concentration.
"On other events you have information coming at you every second and it's easier to keep your concentration," explains Colin. "Kenya is more of an endurance event. You're out in the wild. You have to get it right." And failure to get it right can have serious consequences.
This year, Colin and his co-driver, Nicky Grist, careered off the road and smashed into a tree during the Tour de Corse. Two years previously at the same event he suffered serious head injuries when he came off the road.
For most, such serious accidents would introduce a sense of doubt in their abilities. For Colin, they are experiences from which to learn. "If you have a bad accident or a bad run, you have to pick yourself up."
Accidents are a grim reality of rallying and, with the recent fatal accident in Donegal, safety has again been brought to the fore. The fact that the two men killed were marshals illustrated the dangers to those who volunteer their time to the sport.
With the extreme mental and physical demands of WRC driving, one would expect the drivers to be subject to the punishing training programmes of other top athletes. Surprisingly, when one considers the huge financial investment that company's such as Ford pour into rallying, McRae has few formal fitness sessions.
"I do a lot of mountain biking and still do a lot of motocross," he says, admitting that he would only do 'a wee bit' in the gym. "You've got to do something you enjoy. I would hate to have to go to the gym everyday and stand on a treadmill."
In general, it would appear rally drivers have a liberal fitness regime which would turn many other sportsmen green with envy. McRae is not even tied to a specific diet. Although he clearly is extremely fit, he admits to enjoying the odd curry, a nice glass of wine and "the odd vodka frenzy now and again."
A combination of driving skill and technical development has thrust the Ford Focus, already the world's favourite car in 2001, to new levels of appeal. Ford's multi-million euro investment in rallying seems to have paid off. But there is more to the investment than a bulging trophy cabinet.
Technical developments tested and perfected on extreme rally stages are, years later, to be seen as standard production car equipment.
So what can we expect coming down the pipeline in the near future? "I think there's more accurate transmissions and engine management systems," predicts Colin. "And, of course, we will see big improvements in safety technology and the strength of the cars."
Satellite navigation, although still restricted in its area of Irish coverage, is fast becoming the next "must have" for the young executive. Although the satellite system employed by the WRC teams is essentially a safety-tracking device, Colin says other uses have crossed his mind. "We could always use it as a back-up for the co-driver," he agrees. But will it ever replace his co-driver Nicky Grist? "That would be nice wouldn't it - a bit of peace."
Rarely in sport is a working relationship so intimate as that of a rally driver and co-driver. "It's important that you work professionally very well together but, because you spend so much time together. You've got to have a bit of a personal relationship as well," he explains, revealing that, as with any professional relationship that strays into the personal, it is not always smooth sailing.
"The relationship is never going to be perfect, it's like a marriage at the end of the day. You have to make the best of it."
Indeed, Colin's wife, Alison, was his co-driver for a short time in 1987 before they got married.
McRae is clearly going to remain on the world stage for some time. But, he has one tip for the future. "Keep your eyes on Kris Meeke, a young man from Co Tyrone."