Genesis Plans Bigger Racing Future Beyond Le MansJames Moy Photography - Getty ImagesThe mission of Genesis Magma Racing is best summed up by "Ha-Myeon-Dwen-Da," the Korean phrase that is the sports car endurance racing team's guiding light. "Anything is Possible."That mantra reflects the intense ambition of Genesis and its fast-rising brand, which has come a long way since the introduction of the first G60 in 2016. The company became the fastest in history to reach one million in luxury sales. It's new racing team is part of the next big step.Prior to this weekend's Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas, team officials and marketing representatives met with invited journalists. Their message was clear as the water in the Barton Springs pool in Austin's Zilker Park. The new GMR-001 is not a short-term halo project. Stay tuned for more racing efforts and performance-focused product expansion from Genesis.The #17 Genesis GMR-001 of Genesis Magma Racing, driven by Andre Lotterer, Luis Felipe Derani, and Mathys Jaubert at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.NurPhoto - Getty ImagesThe short-term racing focus is on winning the Le Mans 24-hour. So far, the long checklist for eventually winning the great French race looks good, starting with the hiring of six-time Le Mans winner Jackie Ickx as the team's brand ambassador, a guy who definitely knows how to pick winning cars and teams judging from his highly successful and well-traveled career in sports cars, Formula 1, and the Can-Am.AdvertisementAdvertisementJust 500 days after Genesis Magma Racing was officially launched in a ceremony in Dubai, a brace of GMR-001 chassis entered their first World Endurance Championship race at Imola in April. The car and its unique aerodynamics are based on an LMDh hybrid chassis built by ORECA and is powered by a V8 twin turbo evolved from Hyundai's World Rally Championship entries.In its second race, one of the GMR-001 chassis scored the team's first WEC points at Spa in the highly competitive Hypercar class.In a schedule shortened by the postponement of the season-opening 10-hour race in Qatar, the No. 19 chassis completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans in just the team's third race. Before the tricolor flew at the start, the first full-blown Korean team at the Sarthe Circuit and its orange lava livery spawned a big surge in purchases of GMR swag, another positive sign given that the French fans are known for their discrimination as well as enthusiasm.The Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar at the FIA WEC 6 Hours of Sao Paulo in July.Anadolu - Getty ImagesRound four in Sao Paulo resulted in both GMR-001 chassis finishing the six-hour race. Although some execution errors kept them out of the points, the result once again fulfilled team principal Cyril Abiteboul's top goal of reliability.AdvertisementAdvertisementMeanwhile, Genesis is not treading water on the production side. Next up when it comes to the aspirational car market: top-of-the-tier performance. If it hasn't happened already, there will soon be a lava orange Genesis GV60 Magma barreling down the highway next to you, an EV introduced to the US in late July that already contains some of the technology developed from the racing team.Genesis GV60 Magma.GenesisIn the wings but hardly waiting is the GT3 Concept car that will lead to more tech transfer in highway cars as well as circuit racing. Once the highway cars are homologated, which of the myriad GT3 series will the Koreans focus on? "Stay tuned," we are told.Genesis GT3 concept.www.roberthoernig.comThe second half of the WEC season begins Sunday with the Lone Star Le Mans at COTA. Maybe the GMR rookie hot streak will melt in six hours of the Texas heat on a challenging 3.426-mile circuit that has a little bit of everything, including bumps that feel as big as an armadillo's hump. Or perhaps it's another chance to advance the Korean brand's unyielding ambition that has led to 85 dedicated Genesis dealerships built in the US in the last three years, a significant break from the previous sales route of Hyundai dealerships.Pipo Derani, the Brazilian IMSA star who became the first established driver to sign with Genesis, left behind a comfortable position with Cadillac Racing to become part of the development team that soon included three-time Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer. Those two along with their engineering maestro, American Justin Taylor, have helped lead the chassis development that has been hell-bent-for-leather. "If you're not pushing the boundaries, then you are not going fast enough," said Derani.Pipo Derani.Ker Robertson - Getty ImagesThe development crew started with a responsive and balanced chassis. They were aided by ORECA's prior experience with building an LMDh chassis for its IMSA teams, the Acura ARX-06. Plus, Chief Engineer Taylor had prior experience on the LMH chassis of the Ferrari 499P and the V-Series.R chassis of Cadillac Racing, an LMDh platform built by Dallara.Andre Lotterer.Ker Robertson - Getty ImagesAdvertisementAdvertisementThe two development drivers and Taylor were open to new approaches as well, said Lotterer, who co-drove to the 2024 WEC drivers' championship with Porsche Penske Motorsport. "Pipo and I could become creative and make different suggestions because of our experience with different teams and think outside the box," said the German.American fans may get to see the GMR-001 outside of a lone WEC race in the US in 2028. Genesis and Abiteboul are mulling a parallel IMSA WeatherTech Championship.Abiteboul said the current focus is on continuing to develop the car in WEC competition through 2027 while remaining open to partnering with a team in IMSA in the future."We want to show what our package is capable of doing," said Abiteboul. "IMSA is a bit more customer or partner team focused. We want to show to the teams that we could be working with the quality, the capability of our racing program. So that's the sort of things that are happening now and we are still on time to make a decision for 2028."
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