Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis just made its boldest move yet. In Dubai, right before the Formula 1 season finale, the company launched Genesis Magma Racing and revealed its first race car, the GMR-001. The plan? Compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) by 2026 and take on IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2027. And yes, that means Genesis is aiming for the big leagues—Le Mans. The GMR-001 is no ordinary race car. It’s built to the LMDh specs and packs a turbocharged V8 hybrid powertrain. That’s serious firepower for a brand making its motorsport debut. Genesis is joining the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, and Mercedes—brands that have turned race-day wins into car sales and lifelong fans. Now, it’s Genesis’ turn to take a shot at glory. Big Names and Big AmbitionsGenesis Magma Racing is pulling out all the stops. At the centre of its new endurance racing team is Cyril Abiteboul, the man who ran Renault’s Formula 1 team and now leads Hyundai Motorsport. With him are some of racing’s biggest talents, like André Lotterer, a three-time Le Mans winner, and endurance veteran Pipo Derani. Together, they’ll fine-tune the GMR-001 hypercar over the next year before heading to the World Endurance Championship in 2026. But Genesis isn’t waiting until then to make waves. The team is joining forces with IDEC Sport to field an LMP2 car in next year’s European Le Mans Series. This lineup has something for everyone—Logan Sargeant, fresh from Formula 1, will race alongside Jamie Chadwick, the rising star from Indy NXT and W Series. And there’s a wildcard: 19-year-old Mathys Jaubert, a French prodigy who’s ready to prove himself. Hyundai Motorsport has never been one to dabble. Now, Genesis is stepping into endurance racing, and it’s clear they’re not here to play it safe. With support from ORECA Motorsport and a base at Paul Ricard, Genesis is gearing up to take on giants like Ferrari, Porsche, and Toyota. Meet the GMR-001 HypercarGenesis isn’t holding back with its first race car. The GMR-001, revealed in Dubai, is set to compete in the LMDh category for both WEC and IMSA. It’s expected to produce around 670 horsepower, but the finer details—like whether it will use a V6 or V8—are still under wraps. What we do know is that this car looks stunning. Genesis brought a half-scale model to the reveal, giving us a taste of its bold design. The signature parallel headlights, stretched gracefully over the fenders, echo the style of Genesis’ road cars. There’s even a touch of elegance in its parabolic side profile, a design cue carried over from their luxury lineup. It’s a race car, sure, but it’s unmistakably Genesis. The GMR-001 is built to the LMDh ruleset, a clever system that gives automakers like Genesis the freedom to create their own engines and bodywork while using shared hybrid components. This approach has brought brands like Porsche, Acura, and BMW into endurance racing. Source: Genesis
