An overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a highly-sought accolade among luxury automakers like Audi, Ferrari and Porsche. In a somewhat surprising turn, Genesis aims to join that select group. The Hyundai luxury brand revealed the GMR-001 Hypercar on Wednesday, its prototype racer that will compete in the 2026 edition of the French endurance classic. The program’s first two drivers were also announced: Three-time Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer and two-time IMSA champion Pipo Derani.
Genesis first announced its intentions to compete in the top-level of international sports car racing back in September. The factory team will compete under the moniker Genesis Magna Racing and will be led by Cyril Abiteboul, President of Hyundai Motorsport and former Alpine F1 team boss. He said in a statement:
“The official launch of Genesis Magma Racing is a momentous occasion. As the backbone of Hyundai Motor Group’s global motorsport activities, Hyundai Motorsport will play a vital role in this latest ambitious program. 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.”
The outfit will compete as an LMP2 team in the 2025 European Le Mans Series to prepare for its first two-car campaign with the GMR-001 LMDh in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship. The team’s operation will expand in 2027 to include a two-car entry in the North American-based IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It will be a methodical yet rapid introduction to endurance racing’s senior circuits.
While little is known about what will be under the GMR-001’s skin, the LMDh’s smooth contoured surfaces pay homage to Genesis’ upcoming line of Magma performance vehicles. The racing car also sports the same “Two Lines” headlights featured on Genesis road vehicles. Just like the category’s other machines, the regulations encourage automakers to produce racing prototypes that are visually related to their road-going counterparts.
At the end of the day, the GMR-001’s impact on Genesis and its Magma performance vehicles will depend on its on-track performance. Lotterer and Derani are formable drivers to build a team around. Lotterer won the FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship this year with Porsche Penske alongside Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor. Pipo Derani’s time at Cadillac typically featured the IMSA season going down to the wire at Petit Le Mans with him in the driver’s seat and won the title twice, in 2021 and 2023.
Genesis is throwing its hat into a very crowded ring alongside Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Toyota. That deep field is exciting for fans who crave great racing and manufacturers looking to make an impact on the public.