Genesis team principal Cyril Abiteboul has confirmed that the GMR-001 will be equipped with a turbocharged V-8 engine and referred to the car as an LMDh entry, emphasizing that it will feature a hybrid system.
The connection between motorsports and luxury automakers has long been a powerful one, encapsulated by the adage: “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.”
Brands like Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Alfa Romeo, Audi, and Porsche have all honed their skills in the intense arena of competitive racing.
These endeavors, marked by moments of triumph and heartbreak, have cultivated loyal fanbases who eagerly follow the races and take pride in driving their favorite team’s vehicles.
Now, Genesis—the luxury division of Hyundai—is aiming to carve out its own place in this storied tradition.
On Wednesday, December 4, Genesis introduced its new racing initiative, Genesis Team Magma, in Dubai, just days before the Formula 1 season finale.
The announcement detailed plans to field two hypercar entries in both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) championship.
The WEC program is slated to debut in the 2026 season, with the IMSA team following in 2027.The newly announced team boasts some familiar names from the motorsports world.
Cyril Abiteboul, currently president of Hyundai Motorsport and formerly the team principal for Caterham and Renault in Formula 1, will lead the team as principal.
André Lotterer, fresh off his WEC championship win with Porsche in 2024, will join forces with the accomplished Luis Felipe “Pipo” Derani to develop Magma’s Hypercar throughout 2025.
This duo will then compete in the 2026 WEC season. Meanwhile, the IMSA driver lineup has not yet been disclosed.
In addition to its Hypercar project, Genesis Team Magma is collaborating with IDEC Sport to field an LMP2 team in the 2025 European Le Mans season.
North American fans may recognize Logan Sargeant, the American driver who participated in Formula 1 this year. He will team up with Jamie Chadwick, who secured her first Indy NXT victory earlier this year, and 19-year-old French driver Mathys Jaubert.
Together, they will prepare Genesis Magma Racing for the challenges of endurance racing in anticipation of the 2026 season.
Complementing the personnel announcements, Genesis revealed the GMR-001 Hypercar, which will compete in the LMDh category of both WEC and IMSA.
While specific mechanical details remain under wraps, the car will adhere to the regulations governing LMH and LMDh vehicles.
It is expected to deliver approximately 670 horsepower, though the specifics of its engine configuration—whether a six-cylinder or eight-cylinder—and whether it will adopt the LMH option without a hybrid system remain to be seen.
Attendees at the Dubai reveal were treated to images and a half-scale model of the GMR-001. Visually, the Hypercar makes a striking impression.
Its front features the distinctive Genesis wings centrally mounted and flanked by the brand’s signature parallel headlights, which are borrowed from Genesis’s road car design language.
The stacked headlights stretch across the front fenders, giving the vehicle a sleek and agile appearance.
The rear deck of the car incorporates a series of cutouts, likely aimed at improving cooling and aerodynamics. Genesis also highlighted that the car’s side profile mirrors the parabolic line seen in its production models.
As Genesis embarks on this ambitious foray into motorsports, only time will tell whether victories on the racetrack will translate into increased sales in the showroom.
