Attention Getter: Hyundai's Luxury Division Creates Magma Racing Team, Develops Hypercar
The Genesis brand wants to prove itself in endurance racing.
Genesis, the luxury brand nested under Hyundai, will join the list of automotive brands hoping to capitalize on the marketing phenomenon of "win on Sunday, sell on Monday." That's right, Genesis is going racing.
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In the lead-up to the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the season, Genesis announced the creation of Genesis Magma Racing, drawing on the expertise of Hyundai Motorsport, with plans to join WEC (World Endurance Championship) and IMSA SportsCar Championship. The chariot: the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar, a high-performance prototype.
Team drivers André Lotterer and Luis ‘Pipo’ Derani were on hand in Dubai for the announcement. Genesis Magma Racing will have two cars in WEC in 2026 and IMSA in 2027 and an LMP2 team will compete in the 2025 European Le Mans Series.
Building the Magma Performance Sub-Brand
The move supports the introduction of the Magma performance sub-brand in a bid to redefine high-performance luxury. The plan is to offer a Magma performance variant of all models as a top trim level, much like how BMW M touches most BMWs and AMG most Benzes.
The Korean automaker has shown five concepts for an idea of what is to come. We first saw the GV80 Coupe Concept in April 2023 with Magma orange paint and the fastback crossover is now on sale. Next to production will be the Genesis GV60 Magma, which is expected to launch in late 2025. A limited-run Genesis G80 Magma Special is exclusively available for the Middle East. Genesis has also shown the X Gran Berlinetta and X Gran Racer VGT concepts.
Genesis is still a relative newcomer on the luxury car scene, let alone the performance luxury car scene. It was formed in 2016 but has grown quickly with a lineup of sedans and SUVs, with internal combustion engines as well as pure electric vehicles. While sales have grown exponentially, and the brand has sold more than 1 million vehicles globally since its inception, only five out of ten people know what Genesis is, so the brand needs to continue to build awareness, says Ash Corson, director of product planning for Genesis Motor North America. “Magma and racing are good global amplifiers.” Genesis is in 19 countries with room to add more, he says.
Global Showcase
The hope is racing on the world’s most challenging tracks will raise Genesis' profile while showcasing the brand’s engineering expertise and endurance capabilities that test the limits of the cars and their drivers. The LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) class tests hybrid technology and the automaker’s ability to innovate under extreme circumstances.
Genesis wants to link racing to the street. “This entry into motorsport is a natural evolution for Genesis,” said Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Genesis. “As we look to push the boundaries of our brand, motorsport allows us to bring the spirit of hyperspeed—which drives how we create and innovate—in a way that aligns perfectly with our core values: Audacious, Progressive, and Distinctly Korean.”
Designing a Genesis Hypercar
The Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar embodies the athletic elegance design language Genesis is working to imbue into its lineup, including its signature lighting, but in a high-performance package. The sleek, horizontal lights wrap around the front and rear and are integrated into the bodywork for a minimalist look with cues inspired by the Magma lineup.
The sweeping parabolic line on the side profile is another Genesis design element while enhancing airflow toward the rear diffuser, improving downforce and handling on the track. The concave rear section has an active spoiler to balance drag reduction with stability.
The GMR-001 Hypercar was developed at Genesis Design Europe under Donckerwolke. The black finish and design cues drawn from the Magma lineup signal a new era for Genesis performance vehicles. “We are entering a new chapter, where speed meets elegance,” he says.
Genesis Race Team and Logo
Genesis also unveiled the Magma Racing logo, inspired by the characters in the Korean spelling of magma which is hangeul. (마그마). Using the Korean consonants symbolizes the brand’s distinctly Korean identity, said Donckerwolke.
Hyundai Motorsport has been in racing for more than 10 years and will support the fledgling Genesis program. Its president Cyril Abiteboul will serve as Team Principal for Genesis Magma Racing. Hyundai Motorsport recently secured titles in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and TCR World Tour. "The official launch of Genesis Magma Racing is a momentous occasion," said Abiteboul. "We are elevating our circuit racing expertise to a whole new level as we prepare to compete in some of the world’s most challenging series."
Team Drivers Raring to Go
Drivers Lotterer and Derani will take on technical development duties for the GMR-001 Hypercar starting with simulator sessions in 2025 to prepare for the debut LMDh season in 2026, where they will both serve as race drivers.
“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 for me to channel my work, experience, passion and motivation into a new project with a team of highly ambitious individuals. I am excited to start working on this project and build a successful future from the very beginning.”
Derani said the ambition behind Genesis’s endurance racing project and the track record of those involved was an opportunity he could not refuse. “As a driver, being involved in a project from the start is highly rewarding. I look forward to bringing my experience of developing cars and winning titles to the team. Given the competitiveness of LMDh, it will be a big challenge, but I believe all the necessary ingredients are here to make this endurance journey successful.”
Ahead of its WEC debut in 2026, the team will collaborate with IDEC Sport to field an LMP2 entry in the 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS), featuring a promising lineup of emerging talent. Logan Sargeant (USA), Jamie Chadwick (UK), and 19-year-old Mathys Jaubert (France) will join forces for the ELMS campaign, supporting Genesis Magma Racing’s preparations for endurance racing.
Genesis Magma Racing will consolidate its operations with a base at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, leveraging its proximity to ORECA Motorsport and IDEC Sport to streamline collaboration.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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