Genesis to Enter Top-Flight Endurance Racing with LMDh Car

Genesis X Gran Racer VGT concept previously hinted at brand’s ambitions to go racing

Genesis, the premium spin-off of Hyundai, has recently announced its entry into top-flight endurance racing. The brand will develop a car based on the LMDh ruleset, which requires the use of a greater number of off-the-shelf components compared to the alternative Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) specification.

LMDh Rules and Competitors

The LMDh ruleset mandates that the chassis must be sourced from Oreca, Dallara, Ligier, or Multimatic, while the hybrid system is a common part developed by Bosch, WAE, and Xtrac. Competitors such as Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, and Lamborghini already race LMDh cars, while Ferrari, Peugeot, and Toyota follow the LMH rules.

Racing Series and Potential Entry

Genesis has not yet announced the specific racing series it will participate in. However, given the brand’s focus on the North American market, it is likely that they will also race in the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship alongside the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

While the exact start date for Genesis’ endurance racing endeavors remains unknown, it is speculated that they may enter the competition by 2025. This announcement concludes months of speculation about Hyundai’s expansion into endurance racing, adding to their existing motorsport portfolio that includes the World Rally Championship and TCR touring cars.

Genesis’ Performance-Focused Brand Repositioning

The decision to enter top-flight endurance racing aligns with Genesis’ recent repositioning as a more performance-focused brand. Earlier this year, they introduced the Magma sub-division, further emphasizing their commitment to high-performance vehicles.

Genesis had previously hinted at their racing ambitions with the development of the X Gran Racer VGT concept for the popular PlayStation driving game, Gran Turismo 7.