Hyundai i20 N Rally1 #11 T. Neuville / M. Wydaeghe Rally Croatia 2023 IXO 1:18

The Croatia Rally operates in a completely different register from Monte Carlo. Where Monte Carlo draws on mountain roads above Monaco with the threat of ice and snow at altitude, Croatia runs through forested tarmac stages near Zagreb under conditions that favor precise, high-speed driving on dry roads. Both rounds appeared on the 2023 WRC calendar; Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe contested both in car number 11. This IXO Hyundai i20 N Rally1 1:18 diecast captures their Croatia entry — the same crew, the same car number, but a different chapter of the season.

Croatia Rally 2023 — Tarmac Character and the Rally1 Setup

Croatia joined the WRC calendar in 2021 as a pure tarmac event, establishing itself quickly as one of the championship's more technically demanding rounds. The stages run through dense forest roads outside Zagreb, with the smooth tarmac surface rewarding aggressive entry speeds and precise braking point management. Unlike Monte Carlo, where surface conditions can change between reconnaissance and the competitive pass, Croatia's stages offer consistent dry tarmac — a different mental preparation and a different mechanical setup for the i20 N Rally1.

By Croatia 2023, the Rally1 hybrid platform was in its second season. Teams had accumulated enough data to optimize the hybrid deployment strategy across different surface types — the torque-fill characteristics of the electric motor behave differently on smooth asphalt than on the loose gravel or mixed-surface stages of other rounds. Neuville and Wydaeghe brought that accumulated knowledge to the Croatian stages in a car dialed specifically for the event's tarmac character.

For model collectors, Croatia represents a newer addition to the WRC canon compared to the historic rounds like Monte Carlo, Safari, or Rally Finland. That relative youth actually works in the Croatia model's favor: it documents a modern WRC calendar event in the hybrid era that future collectors will look back on as the early years of the Rally1 chapter.

IXO Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Croatia — The #11 Livery in Diecast

IXO produces this Croatia entry in zinc alloy diecast at 1:18, following the same construction approach as their Monte Carlo documentation of the same car. The Hyundai Motorsport factory livery appears consistent between the two events — the blue and white base, the WRC Rally1 branding, the team sponsor graphics — but the individual crew markings, car preparation status, and event-specific service park graphics tie this piece specifically to Croatia rather than serving as a generic 2023 Hyundai replica.

The i20 N Rally1's tarmac specification appears through the aero setup choices reproduced on the model: the front splitter angle, downforce wing configuration, and wheel specifications that teams adjust between gravel and tarmac events. IXO's documentation at 1:18 scale captures these setup choices in a format where the differences between events are visible under close inspection — not just livery variants of the same basic shape, but cars prepared for specific competitive conditions.

At approximately 25 centimeters on the shelf, the wide-arch i20 N Rally1 body commands display presence. The diecast construction provides the weight that distinguishes a 1:18 rally model from its smaller 1:43 counterparts — picking up this piece registers the zinc alloy density immediately, a physical quality that contributes to the model's shelf presence and long-term stability.

Season Documentation — Monte Carlo and Croatia Together

For WRC collectors building a 2023 season display, the IXO Neuville Croatia piece serves a distinct role from the Monte Carlo entry. Monte Carlo captures the season opener on mixed mountain stages; Croatia captures a pure tarmac round mid-season. Both use the same #11 Neuville/Wydaeghe crew, which makes them natural companions — the same partnership documented at different points in a championship campaign.

Displayed together, the Monte Carlo and Croatia entries tell a story no single model can: a driver and co-driver working through a championship season across multiple surfaces and stage profiles. IXO's consistent livery approach between the two pieces ensures they read as a coherent pair rather than mismatched interpretations. Adding the Sordo Monte Carlo entry (18RMC153B) further expands the display into a genuine Hyundai team presentation. American rally followers who track the WRC season through streaming coverage will recognize these specific entries — the Croatia rally has built a dedicated US audience among viewers who follow the championship's European tarmac rounds.