Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡
Everyone knew it was coming, but when the crowd finally got to see the fresh-off-the-press Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 Hypercar in real life, wild applause broke out. Finished in a vibrant orange that blends into a deeper red as the eye moves to the back of the machine, the race car will debut in the World Endurance Championship in 2026.
If it seems strange for a production automaker like Genesis to create an expensive race car, know that this has been a passion project for the brand. However, Genesis and GMR (its motorsports division) didn’t confirm its development until 2024. Goodwood Road & Racing called it “the worst kept secret in motorsport.”
The GMR-001 Hypercar will compete in the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona Hybrid) category with a twin-turbo hybrid V8 setup. While it’s clear that LMDh rules specify a maximum of 670 horsepower at its peak, other details are kept tightly under wraps for now.
Introducing Genesis’ first hypercar
Compared to some of its global rivals, automaker Genesis hasn’t been around that long. Toyota was established in the 1930s and Honda in the 1940s, and that’s nothing compared to Buick, which was founded in 1899. The Genesis name was introduced in 2003 as a luxury concept vehicle for parent company Hyundai and then the moniker was cribbed for the Hyundai Genesis model in 2008. As a standalone brand, Genesis debuted the G80 and G90 sedans in the U.S. in late 2016 and its first SUV, the GV80, in January 2020.
Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke ensured the hypercar, while vastly different in design from Genesis’ cars and SUVs, still evoked certain brand elements. For instance, the GMR-001 Hypercar features Genesis’ signature double line lighting in the front and back of the vehicle. For maximum efficiency, the underbody features a flat plate, and inlets push hot air away from the car while the parabolic line along the side directs airflow toward the rear diffuser. True to its Korean heritage the hypercar is festooned with geometric designs that integrate the Korean lettering for “Magma.”
Genesis has created a string of bold concept cars, including its latest, the off-road-focused X Gran Equator, showing off its design chops for the future. Even so, the hypercar is way beyond what it has done before. Donckerwolke says it represents a big change of mentality for research and development for Genesis, but he relishes the freedom of expression. In motorsport, he explains, you don’t do just what is allowed, you stretch to the limits of what’s not explicitly forbidden.
“As a country, Korea is very humble,” he