Nor does it feel spectacular in the corners. The steering offers just 1.5 turns from lock-to-lock, so Gronholm's inputs are modest. With comparatively little power to play with, conservation of momentum is everything. The spectacular sideways driving styles of yesteryear simply don't suit the modern cars.
"If you want to go fast, you want a little bit of understeer at the start of the corner," says Gronholm. "Then you stay on the throttle and try to avoid oversteer. It's a bit like slalom skiing - click... click... click. That's the feeling."
Gronholm's feet are constantly dancing on the pedals. "The Ford engineers went completely crazy when they saw my data for the first time," he says. "I was playing with the brake and throttle all the time - parp, parp, parp. I'm not conscious of it. It's something I do naturally."
Natural is an appropriate word to describe Gronholm. I'd expected this experience to feel frightening, but it doesn't. Not even slightly. I'm in the company of a man who is so on top of his game that my only reaction is to sit back and admire. So what if we're flashing past trees at 100mph? I have total confidence in my driver.
Gronholm prods the brake and we cruise gracefully back into the service area. We clamber out and I ask him the question I've wanted to ask all day. Last year, co-driver Michael 'Beef' Park was tragically killed in the Wales Rally GB. Does he not think that driving through a forest at up to 130mph is a crazy thing for a 38-year-old to be doing?
"Sometimes it comes into my mind what happened to Beef. What happened was terrible. We were in the same team and we were good friends. It was bad, really bad. Sometimes I think this is a crazy sport, but I still enjoy it. It's the most fun that you can have with your trousers on," says the father of three.
There is a flurry of excitement across the paddock. A young blonde model has turned to pose with Gronholm for a merchandising catalog. "I don't think my wife will like it," he says as we shake hands. Being a rally champion might not be quite as glamorous as being a Formula One star, but it certainly has its benefits.