Genesis completes engine installation and fire-up ahead of maiden LMDh test
Genesis continues to make progress on its new hypercar for the 2026 WEC.
Genesis has completed the installation and fire-up of the engine in its LMDh prototype ahead of its first on-track test in August.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Hyundai luxury brand revealed that the GMR-001 Hypercar was successfully powered up for the first time on 9 July, in line with the project’s internal schedule.
Describing the fire-up as the “latest landmark in the development of the powertrain,” Genesis said the moment represented a key step in the build-up to its 2026 World Endurance Championship debut.
Work on assembling the development chassis began shortly after last month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans at Oreca’s facility near Genesis' race base and the Paul Ricard Circuit in southern France.
Initial build operations were handled by chassis partner Oreca, with Genesis’ own mechanics and engineers stepping in at key stages.
This involved integrating the 3.2-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine, derived from Hyundai’s World Rally Championship programme with the i20 N, into the GMR-001.
The engine had already undergone months of dyno testing, but July’s fire-up marked its first time being started inside the car.
“In a project like this, you have certain dates circled and this was one of them,” said team principal Cyril Abiteboul. “The car fire-up was the GMR-001 Hypercar coming to life – a huge step in the story of Genesis Magma Racing. To reach this point on schedule is already a huge achievement and a perfect way to start the next stage of the development process.”
Genesis said that final build work is still ongoing, with the car’s first track test slated for late August. A second chassis will also be built to accelerate development ahead of official homologation for 2026.
“The car build has been about bringing everything together – all the expertise we have within Genesis Magma Racing and at Oreca,” added technical director FX Demaison. “It’s now when we can start physically connecting all the different strands of development work that we’ve been following for the last year with our Powertrain and Design teams.
“The successful GMR-001 fire-up is confirmation of our work so far, but also the start of the next stage of the development that comes with testing.”
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Rachit joined the Crash.net team in 2025 with a primary focus on F1 and sportscar racing.
He previously served as a news editor at Motorsport.com, where he played a key role in the day-to-day editorial operations.
