- Genesis’ new Magma Racing team will turn wheels in both WEC and IMSA
- Its efforts will be borne out via a new Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar
- André Lotterer and Luis ‘Pipo’ Derani will be the team’s drivers
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As part of its effort to cement itself alongside big guns in the luxury marketplace, Genesis has launched Genesis Magma Racing set to field a a two-car entry in WEC (2026) and IMSA (2027). As part of its preparations for these big shows, an LMP2 team will compete in the 2025 European Le Mans Series.
The race machine introduced today is called the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar. It’s a striking thing that will look tremendous on the world’s race tracks, a combination of sharp edges and flowing lines aerodynamically devised to eke out every scintilla of speed up for grabs in competition.
Gearheads will have noticed Genesis managed to smoothly incorporate the brand’s signature Two Line lighting that shows up on all its road-going cars. This is a great tie-in to the old “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” ethos of racing — plus, it just looks cool.
And, yes, the GMR-001 Hypercar was developed at Genesis Design Europe under the guidance of Luc Donckerwolke, the Belgian designer that was poached from Bentley after stints at Lambo and Audi. In a world where hiring decisions are scrutinized to within an inch of their lives, Donckerwolke’s hiring almost a decade ago will surely go down as one of the most successful.
Genesis Magma Racing will have some major firepower behind the wheel. André Lotterer and Luis “Pipo” Derani are on tap for 2025, taking on technical development duties for the GMR-001 Hypercar whilst also conducting simulator sessions to prepare for the debut LMDh season in 2026. “I am beyond thrilled and thankful to join the Genesis brand for its entry into endurance racing,” said Lotterer. “After winning the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ Championship this year, this opportunity is the perfect fit.”
In the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) class, where ‘h’ stands for hybrid, teams work with some standardized components combined with cutting-edge hybrid tech. It’s no small task to enter this world of competition, demonstrating just how badly Genesis wants to show it can innovate in the crucible of motorsport whilst retaining its foothold as a luxury brand. Currently in the mix are brands like Cadillac, Porsche, BMW, and Acura — in other words, marques that compete for Genesis customers in showrooms.
Accountants might not understand the need for a halo program such as LMDh, but gearheads and those who simply like brand association with adjacent success sure do. It is easy to imagine a group of Genesis owners trash-talking with Cadillac owners about the results of a race — even Lexus has a seat at the motorsport table. At this price point, it is critical to show up in the right places. Motorsport is a key part of that image.
The ruleset for LMDh demands an internal-combustion engine as part of the powertrain, of course, but that mill needn’t have its roots in mass production. It just needs to be a four-stroke design with a red-line no greater than 10,000 rpm. This engine will then be paired with spec LMDh hybrid guts containing a transaxle and Bosch electric motor.
Combined output needs to be somewhere between 645 and 697 horsepower, depending on whatever balance-of-performance sissery the race organizers have deemed appropriate on that particular day. Currently, engine displacements are all over the map, ranging from a 2.4L mill at Acura to a 5.5L honker at Cadillac. The weight target for these engines is just under 400 pounds.
Genesis Magma Racing is a new pillar to the Hyundai Motorsport portfolio, one which has had a yaffle of success on the global stage with titles in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and TCR World Tour. Cyril Abiteboul, President of Hyundai Motorsport, will take that expertise to also being Team Principal of Genesis Magma Racing.
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