After three days, 17 stages, and over 300 kilometres, Sebastien Loeb left it late to beat Finn Jari Matti Latvala.
After leading since Friday evening, Finn Latvala finally gave in to the relentless Frenchman on the final stage in Port Talbot.
Loeb secured his fifth consecutive World title, a record 11 stage wins and the manufacturers championship to boot.
Latvala confirmed he is a future world champion and at 22-years-old, he can afford to wait until Loeb eventually gets bored of winning.
The most telling moment of the day was the sound of resignation in the young Finn's voice as Loeb approached the finish line.
Splits throughout the stage showed Loeb ahead of Latvala who knew that legends do not make mistakes in the last kilometres.
A thrilling finale couldn't mask the fact that the weekend did not go as smoothly as was hoped.
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There was the disappointment of Friday's stage cancellations the barrage of criticisms aimed at the FIA for the lack of emergency tyre provisions and Mikko Hirivonen's roll on Friday (which ef;fectively handed the manufacturers championship to Citroen).
However, all things considered, it's a testament to the will and determination of the drivers that spectators were treated to such a spectacle.
A perfect example of this was the attitude of Loeb and Dani Sordo in the Citroens on Saturday afternoon - attacking when a simple conservative approach would have secured that manufacturer's title.
Aside from Loeb and Latvala's excellence this weekend also proved that Valentino Rossi is as much of a draw on four wheels as he is on two.
A Millennium Stadium crowd CAN drown out a H4 Flat four-cylinder, 1994 cc, 16 valve Subaru engine... though only just.
And Tom Cave proved that 17-year-olds who have just passed their tests can drive as well as their seniors, even if he did admit to being nervous of driving in Cardiff City centre.
There remains a degree of uncertainty about the future of Wales Rally GB after 2009.
The organisers want to come back, and so do the drivers... as long as they can bring a pick and mix bag full of tyres.
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