Genesis unveils Magma Orange livery for Le Mans 24 Hours debut

Genesis Magma Racing, Genesis's dedicated motorsport team, unveiled a new livery for its GMR-001 hypercars ahead of their Le Mans 24 Hours debut. The reveal follows the team's first-ever championship points at the FIA World Endurance Championship Spa 6 Hours in May, and the team now aims to make a full statement of its brand identity at the world's most prestigious endurance race.

The team unveiled Sunday (local time) the special livery to be applied to the two GMR-001 hypercars — No. 17 and No. 19 — entered in the Le Mans 24 Hours. The design builds on the Magma Orange concept livery first shown at the Genesis exhibition space in the manufacturer's village at last year's Le Mans 24 Hours, refined and adapted for the actual race cars.

The front of each car carries Magma Orange, the color that symbolizes Genesis's high-performance identity, transitioning into a deep red gradient toward the rear. Genesis said the color drew inspiration from the volcanic imagery evoked by the name "Magma," the volcanic terrain of the Korean Peninsula, and the energy found in Korean culture.

Hangul lettering spelling "Magma" runs along the side of each car. In deliberate contrast to the front-to-rear color shift on the bodywork, the lettering carries a reverse gradient — from red to Magma Orange — to create a visual counterpoint. The effect is intended to capture the sense of speed as the car passes at high velocity and the rising heat of a high-performance engine.

The two cars share the same design direction but differ in detail. No. 17 centers on an orange-and-black combination, while No. 19 adds white Genesis and Genesis Magma Racing logos along with separate highlight elements. The distinction also serves a practical purpose: in a 24-hour race, clear visual identification of each car on track is essential.

Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis chief creative officer, said design is "one of the most fundamental pillars of the entire Genesis brand — and of course Genesis Magma Racing as well." He added that fan response to the Magma Orange concept livery revealed last year had been strong, and that Genesis always takes its supporters' views into account. "This design is not just a race livery — it is an artistic declaration that communicates Genesis's unique performance identity through color and form," he said.

Genesis Magma Racing worked with technical partner HEXIS to realize the livery. The wrapping film applied to the race car surface is engineered to withstand the airflow, heat, and track debris generated at high speed. At an event like the Le Mans 24 Hours — where cars face day and night, dry surfaces and unpredictable conditions — durability is as important as aesthetics.

Cyril Abiteboul, team principal of Genesis Magma Racing, called the Le Mans 24 Hours "the biggest weekend for us this year." He said it represents the toughest test the team faces in its debut FIA WEC season, but also "the greatest opportunity to show the identity of Genesis and Genesis Magma Racing to the world through racing."

Abiteboul added that since the team's launch in December 2024, "Magma has been at the core of our name and identity." "Being able to fully embody Genesis Magma on track is very significant. The car looks fantastic, and the team will work to match its performance to the level of attention that has gone into the design," he said.

Genesis Magma Racing is a first-year entrant in the WEC Hypercar class. At the Spa 6 Hours at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium last month, the No. 17 GMR-001 crossed the finish line eighth to earn the team its first points. Finishing in the top eight in just its second race — against established names such as BMW, Ferrari and Toyota — was seen as a faster-than-expected result.

The Le Mans 24 Hours is a far more demanding stage than the Spa 6 Hours. Over 24 hours, car reliability, pit strategy, driver stamina and the ability to handle night driving are all put to the test. Genesis is expected to prioritize finishing the race and gathering data over outright pace at this event.

The Le Mans 24 Hours runs from June 10 to June 14 in Le Mans, France. Genesis enters its first 24-hour race backed by the operational experience and confidence gained from its points finish at Spa.