The ultimate test of man and machine returns to South America in January with the best offroad racers in the world packing their bags to be part of the action. The 2017 Dakar Rally features a 10,000km route from Asunción to Buenos Aires, via La Paz, that covers some of the most inhospitable terrain on the planet. Making life even more uncomfortable for competitors and their vehicles will be the scorching South American summer temperatures, the threat of torrential rainstorms and nosebleed-inducing altitudes.