Genesis News

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

Genesis Unveils The New Magma GT3 Concept At Le Mans

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 12, 2026

Genesis Reveals New Magma GT3 Concept

In its first decade as a marque in the automotive industry, Genesis went from having a lineup of a handful of luxury sedans to being one of the most influential and formidable luxury brands in the market. Rather than resting on its laurels, however, Genesis instead introduced a performance arm: Magma. Previewed by performance-oriented concepts that all wore the same striking Magma Orange color, the first production Magma model is the GV60 Magma, an all-electric performance SUV. Meanwhile, the Genesis Magma Racing team was also formed and is now about to take on its first 24 Hours of Le Mans with its GMR-001 endurance hypercar. That’s the story so far, but it’s only the beginning for Magma, as Genesis has unveiled the new Magma GT3 Concept at Le Mans, previewing ambitions of an even bigger motorsport presence and a larger emphasis on performance going forward. The new Magma GT3 Concept was showcased alongside the Magma GT Concept, a concept supercar that envisions Genesis style combined with high-performance engineering. However, the GT3 Concept previews a possible future for Genesis Magma Racing that sees it exploring the GT3 racing category by designing a car for the racing category, rather than approaching the technical regulations with an existing roadgoing model. The Magma GT Concept was first unveiled in November 2025, and at Le Mans, the supercar concept has been given an all-new interior, combining technology and elegance with an analog feel. Meanwhile, the Magma GT3 Concept teases an expansion beyond the FIA WEC Hypercar program that Genesis Magma Racing currently has. Developed in line with current GT3 racing regulations, the GT3 takes a racing-first approach to its design, rather than adapting a road car for racing. Its aggressive design includes wider tracks than the GT, a fixed wing, door-mounted fins, and advanced thermal management solutions. <- Gallery -> Genesis seeks to use its motorsport presence as a catalyst for global expansion, specifically to stoke its European presence. The brand is expanding to markets like Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Spain, and has its sights set on more countries like Poland, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark in the long term. As such, Genesis is showcasing other concepts at Le Mans, as well, specifically two evolved versions of the X Gran Convertible Concept. Incorporating Magma design touches, the new concepts are incorporated more into the growing Genesis Magma brand than before. One concept features a Liquid Titanium exterior, incorporating the performance-oriented design touches of Genesis Magma Racing more obviously, while the other Midnight Teal car features a more elegant, luxury-focused aesthetic, incorporating tartan-inspired fabric in the interior. Genesis brand ambassador and motorsport legend Jacky Ickx, as well as Genesis Magma Racing trajectory driver Jamie Chadwick, will be driving the Genesis X Gran Convertible Concept cars. With a rapidly growing presence full of exciting, enthusiast-focused ambitions for both the motorsport and roadgoing aspects of the brand, Genesis Magma is going into its first 24 Hours of Le Mans already looking forward. View All Genesis For Sale Image Source: Genesis

Genesis Magma Racing Reveals Special Livery For Le Mans Debut

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 04, 2026

Genesis Debuts Livery For Le Mans Debut

Genesis Magma Racing is in the midst of its inaugural season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, and rapidly approaching is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most legendary and historic races in all of motorsport. The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans will be Genesis’ debut at the race, and for the occasion, the pair of GMR-001 hypercars that will be taking on the challenge have a special livery. The striking design features a gradient from a deep red shade to the team’s signature Magma Orange, with several nods throughout to the brand’s Korean roots. The colors, evoking lava, serve as a reference to the volcanic origins of the Korean Peninsula, and the shift from Magma Orange at the front to red at the back offers a sense of speed and visualizes the Doppler effect. Korean hangul for “Magma” (마그마) is displayed across the length of the livery in a contrasting gradient effect for the special livery. Both the #17 and #19 cars that will be racing in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will sport the livery. To differentiate them, the #19 car will feature white logos, while the #17 car will sport orange and black logos. To perfect the design for the special livery, Genesis Magma Racing partnered with HEXIS. Focusing especially on perfecting the gradient, HEXIS, its expertise, and its latest generation of wrapping films were crucial in ensuring that the pair of endurance racing hypercars looked their best both at a standstill and at full speed. HEXIS and Genesis Magma Racing made use of ultra-conformable adhesives to enhance the colors of the livery from every angle, which also boast the ability to withstand the demanding conditions of endurance racing, like fast-flowing air, track debris, and intense heat. HEXIS Bodyfence paint protection film is used in the livery to protect the design without adding unnecessary weight. With a special livery for its first race on the legendary, century-old stage, Genesis Magma Racing is making sure that its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut is a beautiful one. View All Genesis For Sale Image Source: Genesis

Genesis Magma Racing Unveils 2026 FIA WEC GMR-001 Livery

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 01, 2026

Genesis’ 2026 FIA WEC Livery Revealed

Genesis Magma Racing was announced in late 2024, giving the team under 500 days to come together in time for its debut racing season in the FIA WEC, which is under two weeks from commencing with the 6 Hours of Imola. With the team fully assembled and the driver lineup announced, Genesis Magma Racing has now unveiled the livery that it will be racing with during the season. Powered by a 3.2-liter turbocharged V8 with a hybrid system built to LMDh regulations, the Genesis GMR-001 racing hypercar makes use of a chassis from Oreca. However, the car also features several signature design touches from Genesis, like two-line headlights, and touches similar to the general aesthetic Genesis vehicles on the road have become known for. Ahead of the season, the car has already completed thousands of miles of testing to ensure its ability to see through the intense endurance races in the season ahead, and as the team prepares to head into its debut season, it’s starting with the goal of making sure it finishes each race on the calendar, with greater ambitions lying ahead. <- Gallery -> The livery features several nods to Genesis’ Korean heritage, as the marque is the first Korean manufacturer in the FIA WEC. The car wears the Korean flag, as well as hangul writing for “magma” (마그마). The Magma Racing logo borrows shapes from the hangul in its geometric logo, as well. With a new car and livery that is ready to take on the 2026 FIA WEC, Genesis is days away from shaking up the endurance racing landscape. View All Genesis For Sale Image Source: Genesis

Genesis Magma Racing Assembles 2026 FIA WEC Driver Lineup

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 31, 2026

Genesis Magma Racing Announces Driver Lineup

Along with a lineup of production performance cars that is beginning to unfurl, Genesis’ Magma division is also a racing team that is about to take on the top class of this year’s FIA WEC. That season is starting in April with the 6 Hours of Imola, and Genesis has announced that the team has been assembled within the short 499-day window between the announcement of Genesis Magma Racing and the start of the 2026 season of the FIA WEC. Now, the team’s driver lineup has also been announced for the debut season of Genesis Magma Racing, and it consists of drivers who represent championship winning talent, development expertise, years of racing experience, and youthful ambition alike. Team Principal Gabriele Tarquini says, “We have focused on the things we can control. In engineering, that’s the reliability and performance of the car, in team management, it’s the processes and for me, it’s the driver lineups.” <- Gallery -> Between the two GMR-001 hypercars that will take part in the upcoming racing season, six drivers will take part in the top class of this year’s FIA WEC with Genesis Magma Racing: André Lotterer, Pipo Derani, and Mathys Jaubert in the #17 car, and Daniel Juncadella, Mathieu Jaminet, and Paul-Loup Chatin in the #19 sister car. Jaminet brings expertise and success from IMSA to the new team, as Juncadella does from GT racing, and Chatin won an FIA WEC race, the 2025 6 Hours of Fuji, behind the wheel of a hypercar with the same Oreca chassis as the GMR-001. With a diverse cast of driving talent, Genesis Magma Racing’s top-class endurance racing ambitions are set up for success as the 2026 FIA WEC season draws nearer. View All Genesis For Sale Image Source: Genesis

The Genesis Magma Racing Team Is Ready For The FIA WEC

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 30, 2026

Genesis Magma Racing Prepares For 2026 FIA WEC

After showcasing concept cars in a bright and vivid Magma Orange color, Genesis announced that Magma would be the name of its performance outfit after enjoying meteoric success in the luxury automotive market in its first decade as a brand. Along with creating production performance cars, the first of which is the GV60 Magma, Genesis also announced that Magma would be present in the racing world, specifically in the form of top-class endurance racing, with the GMR-001 racing hypercar that would take on the FIA WEC, including, of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That ambition was announced in December 2024, giving the team, which didn’t even exist yet, a mere 499 days between making that announcement and starting at the first FIA WEC race in 2026. Now, that team is together and ready to take on the championship as an in-house manufacturer outfit, and it consists of 75 people of 16 different nationalities. The team has multiple bases, one in Le Castellet, France, Hyundai Motorsport’s Offenbach, Germany headquarters, and a Technical Center in Fechenheim, Germany, where the turbocharged V8 engine that powers the Genesis GMR-001 is built. <- Gallery -> Its leadership includes team principal Cyril Abiteboul, team manager Anouck Abadie, chief engineer Justin Taylor, sporting director Gabriele Tarquini, and operations director Sebastien Metz. The team was built from scratch, bringing together people with various levels of experience and allowing the team to decide its own operations structure and plans. Honoring the heritage behind the Genesis brand, the team’s clothing designs feature “distinctly Korean” hallmarks. Supplied by partner Kappa, the clothing designs feature the signature orange and black color scheme, which carries significance in Korean culture, as well as a tone-on-tone pattern created with traditional hangul writing. This past December, a test in Barcelona determined the team’s viability in its operational plans for the upcoming season, with 80 percent of its on-event members present, but the real test is coming very soon when the 2026 FIA WEC begins with the 6 Hours of Imola in April. View All Genesis For Sale Image Source: Genesis North America

An orange Genesis race car with the number 10 drives on a track at sunset, blurred background indicating high speed.

By Tyler Rampersaud – June 02, 2025

Genesis Announces Presence At 2025 24 Hours Of Le Mans

Genesis comes to Le Mans a year early. As Genesis expands its reach in the luxury automotive industry, preparing to roll out its Magma performance wing with various concepts and an anticipated entry into the FIA WEC with the Genesis Magma Racing team and its GMR-001 hypercar, including taking on the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year, however, with the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans approaching in less than two weeks, Genesis has announced that it will have a major presence at this year’s event, even before it makes its debut at next year’s race. As Genesis prepares to make its racing debut by taking on the world’s most revered and challenging endurance race, the manufacturer is arriving at the paddock and on track at Circuit de la Sarthe for this year’s race. The full-scale model of the GMR-001 racing hypercar will be displayed for the first time in Europe at the Genesis booth at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. In addition, the team and drivers will be present to experience the atmosphere and help prepare for the racing debut next year. Genesis Magma Racing is set to update fans and the media about the progress being made towards the anticipated racing debut, and the presence at the event will build anticipation for next year’s racing entry. A Brand Wall telling the story of Genesis so far, the hypercar’s unique livery, and exclusive merchandise at the event will make the Genesis presence a this year’s 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans special, even though the brand isn’t racing yet. View All Genesis For Sale Image Source: Genesis

Overhead view of a red CHIPS-branded Genesis Magma Racing simulator, the GMR-001 hypercar simulator, surrounded by a circular panoramic screen and black metal framework for an immersive virtual racing experience.

By Jordan Aquistapace – May 21, 2025

Genesis Magma Racing Goes Virtual With A Multi-Million Do...

The new Dynisma simulator costs between $3 and $8 million, depending on the spec. Genesis Magma Racing is stepping things up with the purchase of Dynisma’s DMG-360XY simulator as it gears up for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship the upcoming GMR-001 Hypercar. Developed with Formula 1 DNA, the DMG-360XY is known for ultra-low delays and realistic feedback, allowing the drivers and engineers to safely fine-tune systems before the car even hits the track. With a 16-foot excursion range and unlimited manuverability, it offers a hyper-realistic virtual experience that’ll prove key as the car’s early testing continues throughout the year. Photo: Stephen Fisher / Drew Gibson Photography Pro drivers André Lotterer and Pipo Derani are already putting in laps at Dynisma’s UK facility, focusing on everything from hybrid systems and brake feedback for fine-tuning. Their feedback on the simulator experience so far is that it reacts like the real thing, cutting down the time needed to adjust to tech and helping validate performance parameters quickly. The simulator is also helping the team evaluate software that would normally take multiple track days to dial in, especially with limited testing time before the 2026 season kicks off. Photo: Stephen Fisher / Drew Gibson Photography Genesis Magma plans to install their own DMG-360XY unit at their Le Castellet base by early 2026, integrating it into daily operations for both driver prep and race strategy simulations. With only so many real-world testing days in WEC, this virtual edge could make an actual difference when the team hits the tarmac next season. It’s all about using every tool available and narrowing that performance gap before the GMR-001 even turns a wheel. Technical Director FX Demaison and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul believe the DMG-360XY gives them one of the best development tools in the business. With a new car, a new team, and a tight schedule, this kind of simulation horsepower might just be the edge they need to get ahead. View All Genesis For Sale Photo: Stephen Fisher / Drew Gibson Photography Source: Genesis

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