Genesis is making a daring leap into the world of motorsports, and the Genesis Magma Racing (GMR) workforce is losing no time in making ready for its high-profile debut. With plans to compete within the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026 and the IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA) in 2027, Genesis is setting the stage to problem among the most established names in endurance racing, together with Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche.
On the coronary heart of this bold venture is Staff Principal Cyril Abiteboul, a seasoned motorsports veteran recognized for his management in Method 1 and past. In a latest interview with Genesis Newsroom, Abiteboul detailed the challenges and improvements behind the GMR-001 Hypercar, a cutting-edge race machine that goals to redefine efficiency in endurance racing.
Some of the bold components of Genesis Magma Racing’s improvement has been the creation of a brand-new V8 powertrain for its ORECA-built LMDh chassis—a vital step towards constructing a aggressive endurance racing program.
“The largest problem is admittedly the time we have now accessible,” Abiteboul defined. “Constructing a path is a problem, however [it’s] additionally discovering the precise facility and constructing a workforce. We have to have a gaggle of 60 individuals who don’t but exist. We additionally must have the precise gear for them to function.”
As a substitute of designing an engine fully from the bottom up, Genesis took inspiration from Hyundai Motor Group’s profitable 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, which has confirmed itself within the World Rally Championship. The consequence? A V8 energy unit derived from this confirmed platform, delivering a mix of effectivity, sturdiness, and uncooked energy suited to the grueling calls for of endurance racing.
“One other large problem, from a timing and engineering perspective, is the powertrain,” stated Abiteboul. “And anybody who is aware of about engines will recognize that we solely had six months to develop a whole engine. We elected to go together with a V8, exactly as a result of the V8 was an important alternative to not have to revamp a whole engine from scratch and as an alternative take inspiration from our current WRC engine, a really aggressive 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four that we’ve been utilizing for a number of years. We took that engine and made it two occasions 4 in line, which provides us a V8.”
Past the automotive itself, Genesis Magma Racing is constructing a completely new racing group from the bottom up—one thing Abiteboul describes as equally difficult and thrilling.
“Constructing the workforce collectively and placing the completely different constructing blocks collectively is a problem as a result of nothing existed at first,” he stated. “It’s not only a automotive that we have to construct. It’s a racing workforce. A corporation. A brand new id.”
To realize this bold objective, Genesis has partnered with ORECA, a French engineering powerhouse with many years of expertise in endurance racing. ORECA has been instrumental in designing and growing among the best prototype and Hypercar-class race automobiles in fashionable historical past. Their experience will assist information Genesis Magma Racing in optimizing the GMR-001’s aerodynamics, chassis efficiency, and general race technique.
“We’re very fortunate to have ORECA as a associate,” Abiteboul added. “They’ve been designing endurance racing automobiles for many years, and their expertise will probably be invaluable as we push ahead with improvement.”
With the GMR-001 Hypercar nonetheless within the early phases of improvement, Genesis Magma Racing is quickly increasing its infrastructure. The workforce is actively assembling a core group of 60 high engineers, designers, and strategists who will lead the model’s cost onto the worldwide racing stage. Whereas a lot work stays, Genesis Magma Racing is on an aggressive timeline, proving that velocity isn’t only for the racetrack—it’s a tenet in each step of the workforce’s journey.
