The Genesis GMR-001 Wants To Win Le Mans

Having been left with a sole manufacturer team in the form of Toyota not so long ago, the top flight of the World Endurance Championship has suddenly been flooded with OEMs fancying a go. The new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) regulations have piqued the interest of all sorts of big names, and now one slightly smaller one - Genesis.

Yep, Hyundai’s luxury brand, which remains a niche player, will be getting its name out there on the world’s motorsport stage with the GMR-001 Hypercar. Despite the last bit of the car’s title, it’ll be built to LMDh rules, rather than the Hypercar regulations Toyota and Peugeot are racing under.

In terms of technical details, there’s not a whole lot to go on, but we do at least know the chassis will be supplied by Oreca. All LMDh cars, meanwhile, get the same Bosch/WAE/Xtrac hybrid system. Judging by Genesis’ feature competitors, we can expect that hybrid setup to be paired either with a V6 or V8. 

 

The GMR-001 won’t make its WEC (and therefore Le Mans) debut until 2026, with an assault on the IMSA series in the USA kicking off in 2027. Both series will feature a two-car entry from Genesis, and the brand will also be fielding an LMP2 team in the European Le Mans series in 2025 as part of its preparations.

In terms of drivers, Genesis isn’t mucking about. It’s signed up André Lotterer, one of the 2024 WEC season’s champions. He’s joined by Pipo Derani, who’s been racing a Cadillac in IMSA for the last few years. Further drivers will be announced in due course.

Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke had this to say about the new endeavour:

“This entry into motorsport is a natural evolution for Genesis. As we look to push the boundaries of our brand, motorsport allows us to bring the spirit of hyperspeed - which drives how we create and innovate - in a way that aligns perfectly with our core values: Audacious, Progressive, and Distinctly Korean.”