Here’s The Genesis GMR-001 Le Mans Racer In All Its Orange Glory

Having a tough time keeping track of all the manufacturers launching top-flight endurance racing programmes? Here’s one to add to your spotter’s guide: it’s the finished version of the Genesis GMR-001, the Hypercar contender that Hyundai’s luxe sub-brand will enter the World Endurance Championship with from 2026.

It’s not wildly different from the shadowy concept version we saw last December, but it does give us a proper look at the car, including its livery, that’ll be lining up at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the rest of the WEC calendar next year.

To make sure you know it’s a Genesis, the team headed up by chief designer Luc Donckerwolke have incorporated the road cars’ distinctive split lighting design onto both the front and rear of the car, so if you see it coming down the Mulsanne straight at 2am, your sleep-deprived mind might briefly think a GV70 has accidentally found its way onto the track.

The livery, meanwhile, heavily features the signature bright orange shade of Genesis’ new Magma performance brand, shifting gradually to a deep red at the back. To really hammer this home, the design incorporates the Korean Hangeul alphabet’s lettering for the word ‘Magma’, and the factory team has been christened Genesis Magma Racing.

As for the technical nitty-gritty, the GMR-001 is being built to the more popular LMDh ruleset that sees entrants pick one of four spec chassis and then fit their own bodywork and powertrain. This more cost-effective route is the one that’s been chosen by most big OEMs so far, with only Ferrari, Toyota, Peugeot and Aston Martin opting for the more bespoke LMH rules.

The GMR-001’s chassis comes from French constructor Oreca, and it’ll be powered by a hybrid system featuring a bespoke twin-turbo V8, formed by smooshing together two of Hyundai’s 1.6-litre four-pot turbo WRC engines at a common crankshaft.

Genesis clearly fancies its chances from the off, because to kick off its 2026 driver roster, it’s brought in three-time Le Mans winner André Lotterer and quadruple 12 Hours of Sebring victor Pipo Derani. We’ll see them, and whoever else Genesis brings on board, going for glory in the GMR-001 in the 2026 World Endurance Championship, before a separate programme in North America’s IMSA series commences in 2027.