Genesis Magma Racing’s GMR-001 Roars to Life in France
Genesis Magma Racing reached a pivotal point in the GMR-001 hypercar’s development on 9 July, as engineers fired up the car for the first time at Le Castellet—right on schedule. This moment marked more than a technical milestone; it signified the birth of the team’s inaugural development car, which will undergo extensive track testing throughout the remainder of the year in preparation for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The team began constructing the GMR-001’s development chassis immediately after the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Oreca’s workshop, located near Genesis Magma Racing’s Race Base and Circuit Paul Ricard, provided the setting for this initial build. Oreca’s expert technicians led the assembly, while Genesis Magma Racing’s mechanics and engineers contributed at critical stages, ensuring seamless integration across all components.
Installing and firing up the V8 twin-turbo engine represented a breakthrough. “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 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.”
Engineers ran the engine across the whole rev range in all seven gears while also activating the hybrid system. The power unit charged the batteries and transferred energy to the rear driveshafts, replicating real track conditions. This powertrain milestone confirmed the operational readiness of key systems within the GMR-001’s drivetrain.
Hyundai Motorsport’s Powertrain Department launched engine development in June 2024, using a design based on its FIA World Rally Championship-winning engine. After achieving a successful standalone fire-up in February, Hyundai engineers subjected the power unit and transmission to months of intensive testing. This validated both performance simulations and efficiency targets. With the engine now fully integrated into the GMR-001 chassis, the team stands ready to begin complete vehicle testing, starting with the first track run in late August.
The collaboration between Genesis Magma Racing and Oreca has proved vital. Their joint effort ensured the car build and engine fire-up met the demanding development timeline. “The car build has been about bringing everything together – all the expertise we have within Genesis Magma Racing and at Oreca,” said 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.”
With final build stages still underway, the Genesis Magma Racing and Oreca teams remain focused on completing the first development car. Once testing begins, attention will shift to refining the chassis and accelerating the GMR-001’s progress toward homologation for the 2026 World Endurance Championship.
