The biggest car news and reviews, no BS
Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.
Genesis made a big statement last November when it revealed its Magma GT Concept, a handsome, supercar-looking coupe that, at the time, design mastermind and Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke told The Drive could offer as many variants as a Porsche 911. Today, the Korean automaker is making good on that word, revealing its spicier, race-going counterpart: the Genesis Magma GT3 Concept.
Shown today at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Genesis is about to compete in the Hypercar class for the first time, the Magma GT3 Concept outlines a “potential future direction” as it eyeballs other racing opportunities outside of WEC’s top category.
Genesis
The GT3 was developed in collaboration with Hyundai Motorsport, and while it still wears the “concept” badge, it looks ready to hit the track. During the introduction, Head of Hyundai Motorsport Cyril Abiteboul explained that the GT3 would complete the Genesis racing ecosystem and serve as a business case as a customer car to be sold to potential teams and drivers.
This makes sense, as the automaker’s strong push to expand within Europe and catapult South Korea into global motorsports will require considerable marketing and resources. Offering a car to compete in a different class other than Hypercar would help this considerably.
“The Magma GT Concept and Magma GT3 Concept represent two distinct yet connected expressions of Genesis performance,” said Donckerwolke. “The Magma GT Concept embodies our vision of luxury and athleticism on the road, while the Magma GT3 Concept translates that philosophy into the race environment, where every element is driven by performance, efficiency, and purpose. Together, they demonstrate how Genesis is exploring the full spectrum of high performance—from refined grand touring to uncompromising motorsport.”
Genesis
Like the regular GT, the GT3 Concept is stunning up close. The headlights built into the center of the bumper look awesome, while the DRL light signatures at the corners give it that unmistakable Genesis look. The aggressive front and rear diffusers, massive rear wing, and, of course, the sleek roofline set it apart from any other car on the market. When this thing actually goes racing, it will definitely have a defining presence even among the Ferraris, Porsches, and other European cars it will be competing against.
Abiteboul also explained how the GT3 Concept represents an exploration of the category’s technical regulations and how these acted as the project’s North Star of sorts. Rather than starting with a road-going production model and then further developing it to go racing, it’s done the opposite. He called it a “performance-first design approach.” Of course, there will have to be a street-going model available to the public for the GT3 to meet either WEC’s or IMSA’s GT-class rulebook, so this ideal is mostly about the car’s conception rather than its actual manufacturing and development.
Genesis
At the conclusion of the presentation, Donckerwolke pointed at the President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division, Manfred Harrer, and said, “Manfred said it’s going into production.”
The Genesis Magma Racing team, competing in its first WEC season this year, scored points in just its second race and qualified in respectable sixth and ninth places for Saturday’s 24-hour race.
Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com
As deputy editor, Jerry draws on a decade of industry experience and a lifelong passion for motorsports to guide The Drive’s short- and long-term coverage.
