제네시스, 100년 역사의 ‘르망 24시’를 정조준하다: 고성능 브랜드 ‘마그마’의 거대한 도약 > 뉴스

Participating in the hypercar class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans means more than just a promotional activity to Genesis. Endurance races, which require racing over a 14-kilometer circuit over 24 hours, are a test of the worst possible conditions for all parts and systems of the vehicle. The Genesis Magma Racing Team set the primary goal of completing the race without mechanical defects with the ‘GMR-001’ hypercar. As they have already proven their skills by earning points in the last WEC Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours Race, this competition will be a decisive opportunity to verify their practical race management capabilities and secure extensive driving data. The data accumulated during this process will be used as a core asset to raise the level of durability and performance of the high-performance Magma lineup to be mass-produced in the future.

Genesis is imprinting its brand identity around the world through an eye-catching visual strategy in this competition. The participating vehicle, the GMR-001 hypercar, was given a strong gradient livery from ‘Magma Orange’ to ‘Dark Red’, and the Korean ‘Magma’ lettering was proudly engraved on the side to show off Korean pride. The special wrapping film developed in collaboration with French film specialist Hexis was designed with precision to withstand the heat and air resistance generated during high-speed driving while maintaining lightweight properties. These design details reflect the philosophy of Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Hyundai Motor Group, and prove that the race car is more than just a mechanical device, but a medium that shows the brand's artistic sense and technical precision.

Performance on the motorsports stage is closely related to Genesis' European market expansion strategy. Genesis, which is currently being sold in seven countries including the UK, Germany, and France, plans to expand its sales network to a total of 11 countries by entering four additional countries, including Poland, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark, by next year, starting from this Le Mans appearance. As Europe is the home of traditional high-performance brands such as Ferrari and Porsche, proving our technological prowess here is the shortcut to establishing our status as a premium brand. Genesis unveiled the interior design of the ‘Magma GT Concept’ and the ‘Magma GT3 Concept’ for the first time in the world at the racing site, presenting a high-performance vision that encompasses road cars and motorsports, instilling a dynamic vision of the brand’s future in European consumers.

Another key to this Le Mans challenge is strengthening teamwork and creative problem-solving skills to overcome uncertainty. As Hyundai Motor Company President Jose Muñoz emphasized, the process of teams working together to find the optimal solution in a race environment that constantly changes over the course of 24 hours is in line with the customer experience that Genesis aims for. Lee Si-hyuk, head of Genesis Business Division, also announced that he would improve the completeness of high-performance mass-produced models through extreme data that cannot be obtained in a typical vehicle development environment. Technology proven on the track will ultimately lead to the driving texture and stability that customers experience on the road, which is why Genesis defines motorsports as a ‘platform for technology development.’