Hyundai's luxury branch Genesis wants to go racing at Le Mans

A new competitor is set to shake up the world of endurance racing; Genesis, the luxury arm of the Hyundai Group, has officially announced its plans to enter the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. This move will see Genesis field a team in the top-level prototype class of the World Endurance Championship.

GENESIS

In an Instagram post from the FIA, the governing body of the WEC, Hyundai Motorsport revealed their intent to launch the Genesis brand into endurance racing. The team will compete in the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) class, a category that allows teams to race in both the WEC and the American-based IMSA SportsCar Championship, capitalizing on the new regulations introduced in 2023 that harmonized the top prototype classes across the two championships. However, the entry is still pending approval from the WEC Selection Committee, and specific details such as the team’s driver lineup, technical partners, and debut date remain undisclosed as of now.

Genesis’s foray into endurance racing represents a significant prospect for Hyundai Motorsport, which has, until now, primarily focused on the World Rally Championship (WRC) and TCR touring cars under the Hyundai N brand. The LMDh program will allow Genesis to showcase its cutting-edge technology and high-performance capabilities on a global stage, competing against established manufacturers like Porsche, Ferrari, Cadillac, Acura, and BMW.

A spokesperson for Genesis commented, "Endurance racing offers an unparalleled platform to highlight Genesis's technological prowess and design philosophy. The LMDh program aligns perfectly with our vision for future mobility and strengthens our brand’s performance-driven identity."

GENESIS X GRAN BERLINETTA (LEFT) AND X GRAN RACER (RIGHT)

While this is Genesis’s official entrance into endurance racing, Hyundai and Genesis have teased their motorsport ambitions before. Last year, Genesis unveiled the X Gran Berlinetta concept as part of the Vision Gran Turismo series, and more recently, the X Gran Racer—a track-focused iteration—was introduced. Although the race car that will hit Le Mans is expected to differ significantly from these video-game concept models, they demonstrate the brand’s ongoing interest in motorsport and high-performance engineering.

The LMDh ruleset allows manufacturers to partner with established chassis builders such as Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic, or Oreca, though there is speculation that Genesis may follow the path of Ferrari by developing a bespoke hypercar from the ground up. Rumors suggest that Chip Ganassi Racing, an experienced team in endurance racing, may become a key technical partner for Genesis, though nothing has been confirmed yet.

GENESIS

As mentioned earlier, the entry into Le Mans will likely be part of a broader expansion into endurance racing, with Genesis eyeing both WEC and IMSA events. While the debut date remains uncertain, industry insiders speculate that the Genesis LMDh program could launch as early as 2026. With Hyundai’s WRC future reportedly in question beyond 2025, the company may soon have the resources to channel into this new motorsport venture. Genesis’s upcoming Magma performance line, featuring a sporty version of the GV60 SUV, is another step in the brand's push for a performance-oriented image. Hybrid technology, favored globally by Genesis drivers, is expected to play a pivotal role in the brand’s endurance racing efforts. And this is, in part, about that, the connection between motorsport and road technology.

The prospect of seeing a Genesis LMDh prototype hurtling down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans is tantalizing, especially in a field packed with fierce competition from world-renowned manufacturers. While the fans will have to wait for further details, the idea of a Genesis battling for victory at one of motorsport’s most iconic races is already generating excitement.

GENESIS