Hyundai has decided to take a bold leap into the world of endurance racing with the confirmation of an LMDh hypercarbut it will do so through its luxury brand, Genesis.
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Although the rumor had been circulating for weeks, the official announcement surprises the automotive world.
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This expansion represents not only a strategy to diversify its competition portfolio, but also a commitment to consolidate Genesis as a major player in the high-performance sector.
Instead of choosing the well-known Hyundai N sports divisionthe Korean company has opted for its premium brand to face the challenge of Le Manscompeting both in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) as in the top GTP category of the IMSA Championship in the United States.
Although no design of the vehicle has yet been revealed, Genesis LMDh hypercar expected to hit the track by 2026aligning with the dates of the end of the current regulatory cycle.
Genesis has already begun outlining its strategy for this exciting adventure. Before debuting in the Hypercar class, The brand plans to participate in minor competitions to fine-tune its development.
One of the first steps will be to compete in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Seriesusing this experience as a laboratory to perfect their future prototype.
This approach not only underlines Genesis’ commitment to endurance racing, but also its intention to do so as competitively as possible.
Despite Hyundai and Genesis They haven’t shown a physical prototype yet, but there are hints of what we can expect in terms of its design.
The clearest clue comes from the virtual world: in 2022Genesis presented The Stunning Genesis X Vision Gran Turismo Concept Carwhich recently received a track-focused variant, the Genesis X Gran Racer Vision Gran Turismo Concept.
While these digital versions do not reflect the final product, they do offer a glimpse of the design language the brand might adopt.
A prototype with a distinctive design
The adoption of a chassis approved by one of the four manufacturers authorised for the LMDh category (Oreca, Ligier, Dallara or Multimatic) indicates that the structural basis of the Genesis hypercar will be similar to existing prototypes.
However, the exterior design is expected to showcase Genesis’ unique identity, characterized by its distinctive front end with a triangular grille and dual-line headlights, elements that could make their debut on this competition model.
This project significantly expands the scope of Hyundai Motorsportwhich already competes in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the TCR championship.
Since the first rumours of Genesis entering endurance racing emerged, questions have also been raised as to whether this focus on Le Mans will mean a reduction in its involvement in other disciplines such as rallying.
However, Hyundai has not announced any changes to its WRC programme so far, at least until the end of the current cycle. 2026.
A bet by Hyundai and Genesis on endurance
Hyundai and Genesis’ interest in WEC and IMSA reflects a strategic move in its overall approach to competition.
The company appears to be seeking a balance between its efforts on different fronts of motorsport.
With the introduction of the LMDh hypercar, Genesis enters a league of renowned manufacturers such as Toyota, Ferrari and Porschewho are already well positioned in the Hypercar category.
The road to Le Mans is long and challenging, but Hyundai’s decision to use Genesis as its spearhead has clear logic.
The premium brand offers an ideal platform for experimenting with new technologiesbold designs and innovative strategies that could be implemented in other production vehicles in the future.
Incidentally, competition in the WEC and IMSA could also help Genesis increase its presence in international markets, particularly in the United States, where it already has a significant share.
Although it will not be long before we see the Genesis hypercar in action, The expectation surrounding this project is already high. Next steps will include more track testsprobably with prototypes in the LMP2 series, and an official presentation of the LMDh model in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Hyundai remains in suspense over its future in other competitions and to what extent its new endurance project will influence its current sporting commitments.
This announcement marks the beginning of a new era for Hyundai and Genesisnot only in motorsport, but also in their evolution as manufacturers of innovative, high-performance cars.
The question now is whether this bold foray into endurance racing will bring with it success as significant as that achieved in other categories. One thing is certain: Genesis will not enter this new challenge without being fully prepared to compete at the highest level.