The Magma Hypercar ready to bring the heat to the track

The world of endurance racing is about to get a serious injection of "Magma Orange," and frankly, it couldn't come at a better time. If you’ve been following the buzz, you know that Genesis isn’t just dipping a toe into the water—they are diving headfirst into the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a machine that looks as much like a piece of high-end art as it does a 200mph weapon. The Genesis GMR-001 is finally breaking cover, and for anyone who lives for the sound of a turbo V8 and the sight of a prototype slicing through the night at Le Mans, this is the car to watch.

What makes the GMR-001 so special isn't just the striking livery—though the way that vibrant orange fades into a deep, moody burgundy at the rear to mimic the "Doppler effect" of speed is genius. Underneath that sculptural bodywork, which Luc Donckerwolke and his team designed with a philosophy they call "Athletic Elegance," lies some truly fascinating engineering. Genesis chose the LMDh platform, partnering with the chassis wizards at ORECA to build a carbon fiber backbone that’s as light as it is rigid.

The heart of this beast is a brand-new 3.2-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. It’s a bit of a "greatest hits" compilation from the Hyundai Motor Group, drawing heavily on the battle-hardened technology from their championship-winning 1.6-liter WRC engines. In fact, about 60% of the components are shared with that rally-bred powerplant, ensuring it has the durability to survive 24 hours of absolute punishment. When you pair that V8 with the standardized LMDh hybrid kit—featuring a Bosch motor-generator unit and a Williams Advanced Engineering battery—you get a total power output capped at roughly 670 horsepower. All that grunt is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a lightning-fast Xtrac seven-speed sequential gearbox.

It’s not just a technical powerhouse though, it’s a statement of intent. The car features the signature Genesis "Two Lines" light signature that wraps around the front and rear, making it instantly recognizable even when it’s a blur on the Mulsanne Straight. Aerodynamically, the car is a masterclass in thermal management, using clever parabolic lines and integrated inlets to pull heat away from that mid-mounted V8 while pinning the chassis to the tarmac.

Genesis has also put together an absolute "Dream Team" to pilot these machines. We’re talking about legends like André Lotterer and Pipo Derani leading the charge, joined by the likes of Mathieu Jaminet, Paul-Loup Chatin, Dani Juncadella, and the rising star Mathys Jaubert. With Jamie Chadwick ready in the wings as the reserve driver, the depth of talent is staggering. They’ve already been hammering this car through grueling endurance tests at circuits like Paul Ricard and MotorLand Aragón, proving that they aren't just here to participate—they’re here to win.

March 2026 can't come soon enough. Seeing a grid full of Ferraris, Toyotas, and Porsches is already incredible, but dropping a flame-colored Genesis V8 to the mix? That’s going to be something special.