Well this is a turn up for the books: Hyundai’s premium subsidiary, Genesis, has announced that it wants to go racing and looks to be doing so with a twin-turbo V8 GT racer dubbed the GMR-001.
The announcement was made at the launch of its new Magma performance line of cars earlier this month, where it showcased the production version of its GV60 Magma – essentially a Hyundai Ioniq 5N that wears the distinctive SUV styling of Genesis’ electric crossover… just one of three models the South Korean brand actually sells in the UK.
According to the official press release, the GMR-001 is “the halo model guiding Genesis’ long-term performance strategy, including future GT racing ambitions”. Read between the lines and it appears that the company is looking to compete in GT racing, taking on the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and more.
A number of sources have stated that the burly racer will use a 3.2-litre twin-turbo V8 that Genesis developed for its Le Mans hypercar, while a road-going version will feature some sort of hybrid system to ensure it meets emissions regulations.
Genesis claims that the concept signifies a key milestone in Genesis’ transition toward Luxury High Performance, with whatever spawns from it leaning into both speed and comfort to ensure resonates with the marque’s customer base.
It’s a handsome beast, with a boat-tail cabin that narrows at the rear to give it some serious “aura”, scissor doors, masses of aero touches and neat matrix LED lamps at the front and rear. It is all penned and overseen by Luc Donckerwolke, the man responsible for Ioniq 5 and 6, as well as the neat Hyundai Pony restomod and Grandeur Heritage Series.
“The Magma GT doesn’t ask the driver to prove their skill; it enhances it. This is not simply a faster Genesis. It is the most complete expression of Genesis performance to date,” Donckerwolke said at launch.
For now, we will just have to wait and see what comes of the project. Or there’s always the GV60 Magma if you simply can’t wait to sample the future of Genesis performance.
