IXO Models' RAM series has built a reputation for documenting precisely the kind of entry that the major diecast houses overlook: club-level, nationally competitive, and deeply regional in character. This 1:43 replica of the Citroën C3 Rally2 — car No. 9, Ecurie Hesbaye — at Rally Wallonien 2024 sits squarely in that tradition, capturing a specific moment in Belgian national rallying during the current Rally2 era.
The Citroën C3 Rally2 in competition
Developed by Citroën Racing and homologated under FIA Rally2 regulations, the C3 Rally2 entered competition from 2022 onward as the direct successor to the C3 R5. Beneath the bodyshell sits a 1.6-litre turbocharged inline-four producing approximately 280 bhp, paired with a sequential gearbox and four-wheel drive — the full Rally2 specification. It competes at every level of the pyramid, from WRC2 and the European Rally Championship down to national and regional championships across Europe.
Rallye de Wallonie and the Hesbaye connection
The Rallye de Wallonie is a long-established event in the Belgian Rally Championship, run across the roads of Wallonia. Ecurie Hesbaye, a motorsport club rooted in the Hesbaye agricultural plateau of Wallonia, is one of Belgium's well-known club-level competitors in national and regional rally events. At the 2024 edition, Belgian driver Cédric De Cecco took the wheel of the No. 9 C3 Rally2 with Jérôme Humblet alongside as co-driver, running the club's characteristic regional livery.
IXO Models and the RAM series in 1:43
This 1:43 scale model is part of IXO Models' RAM (Rally & More) range — a series dedicated to national and regional rally entries that would otherwise go unrecorded in diecast. IXO is a leading European manufacturer in the 1:43 segment, and the RAM line is specifically valued by collectors for its specificity: livery markings, car numbers and crew details that reflect the actual entry. Construction follows IXO's standard diecast metal body with plastic detail parts, the established formula for this scale.
In the display cabinet
This model pairs naturally with other IXO RAM-series entries from the Belgian Rally Championship and the wider national rally scene, as well as with C3 Rally2 replicas from WRC2 and ERC campaigns. Collectors focusing on Belgian motorsport will find it complements Skoda Fabia Rally2 and Volkswagen Polo Rally2 entries from the same era and competitive class. It also anchors any dedicated Ecurie Hesbaye or Wallonia-themed shelf, a niche that very few diecast releases have ever addressed.
