IXO Models has chosen a genuinely consequential car for this 1:18 scale model: the Ford Puma Rally1 entered by M-Sport Ford WRT as No. 13 at the 93rd Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo, run 23–26 January 2025 from Gap, France. Grégoire Munster and Louis Louka were confirmed as M-Sport's lead crew for the full 2025 FIA World Rally Championship season, taking over the mantle vacated by Adrien Fourmaux's departure to Hyundai. That context gives the No. 13 a significance beyond a single event.
The Ford Puma Rally1 debuted at the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally as the direct successor to the Ford Fiesta WRC. Built by M-Sport on a tubular spaceframe with an FIA multi-point roll cage, the car carries a 2,600 mm wheelbase and a regulated minimum weight of 1,260 kg, driven through a five-speed semi-automatic transmission with mechanical limited-slip differentials front and rear. The bodywork references the Ford Puma crossover road car. For 2025, revised WRC regulations deleted the 100 kW electric motor and 3.9 kWh hybrid battery that had defined the Rally1 class since 2022; the car retained the Rally1 designation but ran as a pure-ICE machine. It was also the first Monte Carlo for the Puma Rally1 on Hankook control tyres, following Pirelli's supply of the 2022–2024 seasons.
A milestone stage win, then SS17 retirement
The 93rd Monte Carlo covered 18 special stages and 343.80 km of competitive distance on mixed tarmac and snow. Munster — born 24 December 1998, holding a Luxembourg competition licence — took his first-ever WRC stage win during the Saturday morning loop, a landmark for both driver and team. The weekend also brought power-steering difficulties, two punctures and ultimately a retirement classified as an accident at SS17, one stage from the finish. It is a turbulent sporting narrative, and it belongs to this specific car. The overall winner was Sébastien Ogier in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 with a time of 3:19:06.1.
IXO Models — die-cast in 1:18
IXO Models produces this replica in die-cast metal with plastic parts, at 1:18 scale. The livery — predominantly blue with yellow and red team and sponsor graphics, including RB energy drink branding — matches M-Sport's revised 2025 season colours, distinct from the Fourmaux-era schemes on earlier IXO Puma Rally1 releases. A companion 1:18 model covers the sister No. 55 McErlean/Treacy car from the same event, and both cars are additionally available in 1:43 scale, giving collectors flexibility across formats.
In the display cabinet
The road-car baseline for the Ford Puma measures 4,186 mm in length; at 1:18 that reference point yields a model approaching 23 cm. Plan for at least 25 cm of shelf depth to accommodate bumpers and mirrors. The blue-yellow-red palette sits well alongside other 2025 WRC entries in 1:18 — the IXO Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 No. 17 Ogier/Landais and the IXO Hyundai i20 N Rally1 No. 16 from the same Monte Carlo round make a coherent season-opener trio. For M-Sport specialists, pairing No. 13 with the No. 55 McErlean car recreates the complete M-Sport presence at the 93rd Monte Carlo.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the 1:18 scale model?
The Ford Puma crossover, on which the Rally1 bodywork is based, measures 4,186 mm in length. At 1:18 scale that translates to approximately 23 cm. Allow at least 25 cm of clear shelf space to comfortably accommodate bumpers, mirrors and the front splitter.
Does the model have opening parts?
IXO Models has not confirmed which parts, if any, open on this release. The model is constructed in die-cast metal with plastic components; detail is concentrated on the exterior surfaces — livery graphics, aerodynamic bodywork and Hankook tyre markings.
What makes the No. 13 Monte Carlo 2025 livery different from earlier IXO Puma Rally1 models?
Two things distinguish it. First, the 2025 M-Sport livery reflects Munster's promotion to team leader following Fourmaux's move to Hyundai, and carries RB energy drink sponsorship not present on earlier M-Sport Puma releases. Second, Hankook branding appears on the tyres — the first Monte Carlo Puma Rally1 model produced under the new control-tyre era that replaced Pirelli for the 2025 season.
What is the historical significance of this particular car and event?
At the 2025 Monte Carlo Rally, Grégoire Munster scored his first-ever WRC stage win during the Saturday morning loop — the only stage win M-Sport Ford recorded at the season opener. The car then retired at SS17 (penultimate stage) following an accident, making this a model that documents both a career milestone and an unfinished rally in the same weekend.
