At the 2025 New York International Auto Show, Genesis made the biggest automotive splash with the showing of two vehicles at opposite ends of its “Athletic Elegance” design philosophy. The Hyundai Motor Group luxury brand continues its push upward in the global luxury car market with a design- and performance-led focus drawing from its cultural heritage and distinctly Korean hospitality.

The X Gran Equator concept is Genesis’ first adventure vehicle concept that reimagines Athletic Elegance by embracing off-roading. The global reveal of the full-scale GMR-001 Hypercar for the GMR (Genesis Magma Racing) team included the visual identity, including livery and race suits, marking the next step in the brand’s global motorsport ambitions.

 

X Gran Equator concept

The X Gran Equator concept signals Genesis’ continued expansion into lifestyle-oriented vehicles balancing sophistication with versatility. While not confirmed for production, its design language and innovative features, such as the integrated roof rails and split-opening tailgate, showcase the brand’s future design potential. The concept is being displayed during the show, then at Genesis House in the Meatpacking District until the end of July.

“The X Gran Equator Concept is an exercise in harmonizing contrasts—combining elegance with ruggedness, and the spirit of exploration with refined comfort,” said Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Genesis. “It represents the orchestration of true off-road competence and uncompromising luxury, designed to enable the discovery of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes.”

According to Genesis, its name draws inspiration from Equator, which is widely recognized as the “finest stallion” in the world of Arabian horses, a symbol of endurance, agility, and refined power. Those qualities are said to be reflected in the concept, but there was no mention of whether the source of power is conventional or electrified.

Inspired by reductive design principles, the concept’s exterior emphasizes clean lines and uncluttered surfaces. Key design highlights are a long hood, sleek cabin, fast C-pillar, dark wheel-arch cladding, and 24-in bead-lock wheels. The geometric auxiliary lamps and split-opening tailgate blend practicality with Genesis’ signature Two-Line headlamps.

Inside, the concept emphasizes a contrast between analog architecture and digital technologies. The interior design features contrasting colors and shapes, with a preference for geometric over organic elements. The dashboard’s linear architecture and absence of decorations focus the driver’s attention on the journey ahead, while swiveling front seats and modular storage solutions enhance practicality. At the center of the cabin is a four-circle display cluster on the center stack inspired by the dials of vintage cameras.

With the X Gran Equator Concept, Genesis hopes to reinforce its design-led focus, which was recently rewarded with four 2025 iF Design Awards.

The brand’s full-sized electric SUV concept called Neolun, which is derived from the Greek “neo” (new) and Latin “luna” (moon) and reflects Genesis’ forward-thinking vision, was recognized in the Professional Concept discipline, taking home an award in the Product Concepts category. The vehicle embodies its “reductive design” philosophy, which is said to emphasize clean, refined lines and cutting-edge technology. Features inspired by Korean hospitality, such as “ondol” radiant heating, highlight the brand’s dedication to integrating cultural elements into modern design.

Its X Gran Berlinetta concept was recognized in the Automobile discipline in the Product category. This concept car is a clear representation of the Athletic Elegance design philosophy, characterized by a muscular and balanced aesthetic. The design focuses on optimizing form and function, with a particular emphasis on the cab-backwards proportions and a mid-engine layout.

 

GMR-001 Hypercar racer

The global reveal of the GMR-001 Hypercar lays the groundwork for the team’s 2026 WEC debut, culminating in the ultimate challenge of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The racecar translates the Athletic Elegance design philosophy by blending Korean heritage with motorsport innovation inspired by the brand’s Magma performance sub-brand.

It features Genesis’ signature Two-Line lighting, wrapping horizontally around the front and rear to emphasize width and aerodynamics, for visual brand consistency with its road-car range. Designed at Genesis Design Europe under Donckerwolke, its bodywork features a Parabolic Line along the side profile, a flat underbody for aerodynamics, and integrated inlets to enhance thermal performance.

“The GMR-001 Hypercar, like every race car, is a sculpture designed by the constraints of efficiency and performance combined with the design DNA of Genesis,” said Donckerwolke. “The livery is an orchestration of the tension and balance of the distinctly Korean character of the brand, with gradients from Magma orange to dark red emphasizing the high temperature of the powertrain. And the color gradients from light to dark of the Magma writing in Hangeul is an optical doppler effect that expresses the glorious sound of the V8 Twin Turbo engine in motion.”

This visual language reflects Genesis’ fusion of cultural authenticity and innovation, ensuring the GMR-001 Hypercar stands out as an emblem of Korean identity. More than a traditional race livery, the brand says it’s an artful statement, where color and form convey the unique performance identity of Genesis.

Most specifications remain under wraps, but its hybrid powertrain and chassis were developed with Oreca Motorsport. The GMR-001 Hypercar serves as a testbed for technologies to elevate the Magma sub-brand. Lessons learned on track, for instance, in durability, thermal management, and hybrid efficiency, will directly enhance its road cars, according to Genesis.

Led by Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul, Genesis Magma Racing has already begun its competitive journey in the 2025 ELMS (European Le Mans Series) with an LMP2-class entry supported by IDEC Sport. In the opening round, the 4 Hours of Barcelona, the team scored a win on its debut. The ELMS entry lays the groundwork for Genesis Magma Racing to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026 and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2027 powered by a newly developed V8 engine inspired by Hyundai’s WRC (World Rally Championship) technology.

The V8 twin-turbo engine that powers the GMR-001 Hypercar completed a successful first fire-up at Hyundai Motorsport‘s headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, in late February. The event, overseen by Head of Powertrain Julien Moncet and Engine Workshop Leader Rob Benson, marked a key milestone that will take Genesis Magma Racing into the FIA WEC in 2026. Engines for Hyundai’s FIA WRC cars have been produced in-house by Hyundai Motorsport since 2017.

“Hyundai Motorsport is the backbone of Genesis Magma Racing, and the development of the engine for the GMR-001 Hypercar is the perfect demonstration of this,” said Abiteboul, “We have a huge wealth of expertise at Hyundai Motorsport, so to develop the powertrain for the GMR-001, it was only natural to call on the people we have.”

The basic V8 architecture is derived from the inline-four-cylinder motor that powers Hyundai Motorsport’s WRC challenger, the two units sharing roughly 60% of their parts. The inline-four engine is based on the FIA’s Global Race Engine regulations, providing a tested foundation for the GMR-001 Hypercar’s engine.

“The inline-four engine is a very, very sophisticated, very efficient engine,” said François-Xavier Demaison, Hyundai Motorsport’s Technical Director. “It’s a proper race engine, so it’s a very good base for developing an engine for WEC. Rallying is a sort of endurance race, so for an engine to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it’s a good place to start from.”

Design work on the V8 began in June 2024, was completed four months later, and the first engine was assembled early this year for the successful first fire-up and kicking off the next stage. Hyundai Motorsport engineers, working with their Genesis Magma Racing colleagues, will now focus on completing a series of bench tests with the engine before connecting it to the car’s gearbox and then the hybrid unit common to all LMDh-specification cars.

“After the first crank and the first revs in a steady state, we will progressively add more heat into the system, performing long runs,” explained Abiteboul. “Then with different dynos, we can test in a more dynamic way, reproducing closely the cycles that the engine will do around a racetrack like Le Mans. We can test equipped to the gearbox and the hybrid system until we have the full powertrain.”

Facing a relatively short period before the planned competitive debut for the racer at the start of the 2026 WEC season, these tests will be critical in developing the powertrain before the start of on-track testing later this year.