Genesis Magma GT Concept previews Ferrari, Porsche rival
Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis has provided a better look at the Magma GT Concept, coinciding with a racing version of the supercar.
Genesis is edging closer to finally producing a supercar, with its Magma GT Concept evolving to look almost ready to hit the showrooms.
The Magma GT Concept was first shown off in November last year, though only as an exterior design study, with the orange-painted mid-engined coupe lacking the finer details, such as an interior.
That’s now changed, with Genesis taking the covers off its updated Magma GT Concept at Le Mans, now featuring a fully-furnished cabin.
Its cabin is distinctive, with the two occupant areas split by a sizable centre concept, to which a H-pattern style automatic gear selector sits, just below the refreshingly small infotainment screen.
In fact, all the interior screens and gauges are far smaller than we’ve come to expect from modern vehicles, with the driver getting a simple analogue rev counter, incorporating a digital speedometer, gear displace, and fuel level/engine temperature display.
Of course, coming from a luxury brand like Genesis, it would have been surprising to see the Magma GT Concept without a well-trimmed interior, and its quilted leather upholstery certainly delivers to the expectations of the marque.
On the outside, the design has evolved slightly from the original concept, with the new Magma GT featuring much thinner headlights, a more pronounced air deflector behind the front wheels, and a simplified rear light design.
Its ovular exhaust outlet continues to sit above a large rear diffuser, though we still don’t know what could power the production version of the Magma GT.
Last year Top Gear reported Genesis chief Luc Donckerwolke as saying the Magma GT would be powered by the twin-turbo 3.2-litre V8 engine which made its Le Mans debut in the GMR-001 over the weekend.
This engine is made from combining two of the four-cylinder engines from the Hyundai i20N WRC car together, via a flat-plane crank. It’s not yet officially confirmed that this engine will see production in the Magma GT.
The Magma GT Concept embodies our vision of luxury and athleticism on the road, while the Magma GT3 Concept translates that philosophy into the race environment, where every element is driven by performance, efficiency, and purpose,” Donckerwolke said at Le Mans.
“Together, they demonstrate how Genesis is exploring the full spectrum of high performance – from refined grand touring to uncompromising motorsport.”
The Magma GT will need to go into production to allow Genesis to compete in global racing with the Magma GT3, also revealed at Le Mans and detailed by our sister site Speedcafe.
Simon Chapman
