► Genesis set to join the WEC in 2026
► And IMSA in 2026
► André Lotterer will partner with Luis ‘Pipo’ Derani
Genesis’ is rumbling along on its way to Le Mans. First we got renders, but now Hyundai Motor Company has revealed pictures of the Genesis new car in the real-world. Shown in raw carbonfibre form, the GMR-001 chassis you see here is the first to be completed by the Magma racing team and has already been used for a shakedown.
‘We are at a time where we seem to be passing milestones every day, but this is exactly what we must be doing,” said Genesis Magma Racing team principal (and ex-Renault F1 boss) Cyril Abiteboul. ‘After planning for and talking about these moments for the last eight months, to be able to see a finished car running exactly as we planned is incredibly exciting.’
Genesis will enter WEC in 2026 and then IMSA the following year. It’s designed to win – obviously – but also to embody the brand’s mission statement, ‘Athletic Elegance.’ If the X Gran Berlinetta concept wasn’t clear enough, now you know; Genesis wants to be a sporty brand as well as luxurious one.
It does! The GMR-001 looks like a proper racing car – but still carries the hallmarks of a Genesis product. With that in mind it features double-stacked headlights that wrap around the front corners of the car, and a double light bar at the rear. Just like the production cars.
It’ll race under a newly-created Magma Racing entity, which chief creative officer Luc Donckerwolke says, ‘seamlessly blends innovation with cultural authenticity, symbolising the brand’s distinctly Korean identity and its bold entry into motorsport.’
It’ll be driven by Luis ‘Pipo’ Derani and all-round motorsport veteran André Lotterer, but there’ll also be an LMP2 ELMS team to scope out and develop further talent.
Genesis has opted to enter via the lower cost LMDh entry, which limits technical freedom but also limits the bill at the end of the season. It’s the same formula Porsche has pursued. ‘This entry into motorsport is a natural evolution for Genesis,’ said Donckerwolke. ‘As we look to push the boundaries of our brand, motorsport allows us to bring the spirit of hyperspeed — which drives how we create and innovate — in a way that aligns perfectly with our core values: Audacious, Progressive, and Distinctly Korean.’
Earlier this year paddock rumours suggested Hyundai would be the brand to enter endurance racing, and it’s easy to see why: its N division and rally success makes it no stranger to motorsport fans and it’s got the right expertise in place too. Instead, the Hyundai brand will be heavily supporting the Genesis entry; ex-Renault F1 team principal and current president of Hyundai Motorsport Cyrile Abiteboul will also be team principial of Genesis Magma Racing.
Genesis will also look to help from the famous Oreca and IDEC teams too and will set up base in Paul Ricard next to both of them.
‘As the backbone of Hyundai Motor Group’s global motorsport activities, Hyundai Motorsport will play a vital role in this latest ambitious program,’ he said. ‘We are elevating our circuit racing expertise to a whole new level as we prepare to compete in some of the world’s most challenging series.’
The LMDh class is a relatively new category in prototype sports car racing, having only arrived on the circuit last year. Unlike in the LMH class, with which LMDh runs parallel at the top of the endurance racing pyramid, all LMDh car must use a set of standardised parts from a collective bin, and so the new Genesis machine will share internals with some of its competitors.
Its monocoque, suspension and several other components will be taken from an LMP2 car, built by one of a handful of licenced constructors. Its hybrid system will also be a standardised unit, leaving principally the ICE unit and the car’s exterior design down to the manufacturer. LMH class manufactures, meanwhile, are essentially given carte blanche to design their prototype racers from the ground up.
Despite the higher degree of standardisation in LMDh cars, certain regulations apply across both classes to ensure a similar amount of performance throughout the field. Both LMH and LMDh cars must adhere to a maximum power limit, for example, while the same minimum weight figure applies to both types of car.
As the LMDh class offers a cheaper way in to the WEC than LMH, a large pool of factory teams now compete in the category. Genesis will have to shrug off the likes of Porsche, BMW, Cadillac and Alpine if it wants to enjoy any success in this league – a tough ask, given the racing pedigree of those names. Just ask Lamborghini, who has since paused its motorsport program.
Curtis Moldrich is CAR magazine’s Digital Editor and has worked for the brand for the past five years. He’s responsible for online strategy, including CAR’s website, social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and helps on wider platform strategy as CAR magazine branches out on to Apple News+ and more.
By Curtis Moldrich
CAR's Digital Editor, F1 and sim-racing enthusiast. Partial to clever tech and sports bikes
