Genesis Magma Racing premieres GMR-001 Hypercar at Seoul Mobility Show
Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul gave a special presentation as part of the manufacturer’s display at the Seoul Mobility Show earlier today (April 3), formally introducing the GMR-001 Hypercar to the South Korean automotive media.
Motorsport ambassadors to Korea
When Genesis Magma Racing’s GMR-001 Hypercar hits the track for the start of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the brand will become the first South Korean manufacturer to enter the series and compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This honour comes with a large responsibility, not only to Genesis but to the nation of South Korea.
“In many respects Genesis Magma Racing is going to be the spearhead of Korea’s efforts in motorsport and therefore become the ambassador for the sport in the country. It's a huge chance given to every single one of us,” said Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul. “I believe that every single one of us will stand up to this test and this opportunity, because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
The opportunity also comes with duties. As well as success on track, a key goal for the team is to help build an avid, knowledgeable motorsport following within South Korea, raising awareness of the sport and building a fanbase for Genesis Magma Racing.
Abiteboul explained: “To complete the mission we have set ourselves our racing needs to have an impact on a larger scale. A couple of years from now I would like every South Korean to know where Le Mans is, what Le Mans stands for, what Daytona stands for. That will be our objective and if we do that, we will have achieved one target.”
Genesis exhibition showcases luxury and design vision
The Genesis exhibition at the Seoul Mobility Show, which runs until 13 April, seeks to show both the exclusive luxury and exciting designs of the overall brand and the Magma philosophy.
The model of the GMR-001 Hypercar is one of the highlights of the ‘Magma Zone’, one of three areas comprising the brand’s 1,200m2 display area. It features alongside the GV60 Magma Concept. The Genesis X Gran Coupe Concept and X Gran Convertible Concept were also shown as a world premiere, illustrating a new flagship vision in celebration of Genesis’ 10th anniversary.
In his speech to the VIPs and journalists gathered for the show, Abiteboul also explained one of the key leaps in the early development of the GMR-001 Hypercar – the car’s V8 engine. Developed and built by Hyundai Motorsport, the V8 engine is derived from the team’s existing World Rally Championship-winning powerplant. Hyundai Motorsport engineers have successfully brought the vision to life.
Abiteboul said: “The World Rally Championship engine is extremely sophisticated, with incredibly high-quality material and the best possible in terms of combustion chamber technology, ignition system and so on. It’s absolutely logical to use this as the basis for a V8.”
Five Genesis production models including two GV60s, GV80 Coupe Black, Electrified GV70, and the G90 are displayed at the booth.
Rooted in Korean culture
The South Korean origins of the Genesis brand are a key part of the culture of the team. Outwardly, this is shown in the team’s bold orange signature Magma orange colour, which symbolises Korea’s vibrant energy and in the geometric logo chosen by the team, inspired by the Korean Hangeul lettering for “Magma” (마그마), with its consonants “ㅁ, ㄱ, ㅁ”.
The influence of Korean culture runs deeper within the team. At the core of the team’s rapid progress is an adoption of a principle of ‘Hyperspeed’. It is seen in Korean business as an attitude that instantly embraces a new project and decisions, creating the ability to seize opportunities.
Abiteboul said: “Hyperspeed is the fast, faultless execution of decisions that you need to succeed, but it’s also in the acceleration we need to get from where we were in September 2024 with our first announcement to where we need to be for the start of the FIA WEC season in 2026.”
“Any business, any successful racing organisation finds its route to success through its culture,” continued Abiteboul. “We must adopt these key elements of the South Korean culture into every part of how we work as team and show this connection to the team’s Korean roots to the racing world.”
He concluded: “South Korea has been able to impact almost every segment of consumer business, whether that is music, fashion, art, food obviously, and everything in the wider sense of culture. I think it's clearly a time for Korea and I think the time has come also for Korea to make its impact in motorsports.”
