Jacky Ickx knows his way around Mount Panorama. Nearly half a century after his Bathurst 1000 win, the racing legend was back on the track, this time in something a little different—the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Concept. For a car that started as a virtual model in Gran Turismo, this was its first real taste of a racetrack. Ickx wasn’t just there for a nostalgic lap. He put the concept through its paces in the lead-up to the Bathurst 12 Hour, giving the hybrid hypercar a proper shakeout. He also took a spin in the GV60 Magma Concept, an all-electric luxury machine that’s a world apart from the roaring race cars he once drove. Genesis has been evolving the X Gran Berlinetta over the past couple of years. It first showed up in 2023 as a life-sized model, then in 2024, it became a working hybrid hypercar. Read More Novitec Unveils Widebody N-Largo Kit for Ferrari 296 GTS What’s Really Under the Hood of the X Gran Berlinetta? Genesis said one thing. The car at Bathurst sounded like something else. When the X Gran Berlinetta Concept was first revealed, the numbers were wild—1,071 hp from a mid-mounted V6 and an electric motor. Then Genesis upped the ante, claiming 1,540 hp, with a front-midship V6, an electric compressor, and an electric motor. That was the official story. But when the car took to the track at Mount Panorama, it didn’t sound like a hybrid at all. It had the deep, unmistakable growl of a V8. Something changed. And it wasn’t just the engine note. The Bathurst version also had a center-mounted exhaust, a feature missing from the earlier concepts. Genesis hasn’t confirmed what’s under the hood, leaving fans wondering if this version is a step toward production or just a one-off track special. Jacky Ickx didn’t seem too concerned with what was powering it. “I was blown away by the X Gran Berlinetta Concept, which was a wildly powerful and loud machine to drive. I could tell the crowd really enjoyed both the sight and the sound as I went by.” Read More Koenigsegg Gemera Ditches the Differential for Smarter AWD System Genesis also brought something more grounded—the GV60 Magma Concept, a high-performance electric crossover that’s headed for production. Unlike the X Gran Berlinetta, which is still a mystery, this one is coming soon. It’s Genesis' answer to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV6 GT, sharing components with both. For Ickx, Bathurst is familiar territory. In 1977, he took victory at the Bathurst 1000 alongside Allan Moffat. This time, he wasn’t chasing a checkered flag, but the laps still meant something—especially in a car that’s raising more questions than answers. Genesis is Racing to Le Mans Faster Than Anyone Expected The X Gran Berlinetta Concept doesn’t just look different—it sounds different too. It growls like a V8, but it might not be a traditional one. Genesis could be using two inline-fours combined into a V configuration, a setup it’s also developing for something much bigger: Le Mans. That same hybrid-assisted powertrain is heading to the Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 LMDh, a car built for endurance racing’s biggest stage. The goal? Le Mans 2026. Genesis isn’t easing into it either. The company plans to go from scale model to full competition in just 18 months—an aggressive timeline for a brand with zero experience at this level. But this isn’t just about a single race car. The Magma sub-brand is Genesis’ way of stepping into the high-performance world, taking on Mercedes-AMG and BMW M. Source: Genesis
