- Genesis’ has confirmed production plans for the Magma GT concept.
- Variants include roadster, GT3 R racer, club sport, and lightweight.
- Production car powertrain is still undecided, V8 remains a possibility.
Genesis recently unveiled its most audacious concept ever with the mid-engine Magma GT. And while this may sound like grand words for a brand with wild super-futuristic Vision Gran Turismo design studies, it’s true.
The new Magma GT supercar concept is even more unhinged simply because it’s heading to production. It’s not some fanciful rendering that’ll never actually have to win a race or a sale. And, it’s bringing several variants with it.
Read: Genesis Reveals Why Magma Will Deliver A Different Experience Than Hyundai N
Speaking to Autocar, Creative Director Luc Donckerwolke confirmed production plans, saying the prototype shown so far is “the base model,” and that Genesis will “add S, GTS, roadster, lightweight, club sport, a GT3 road car, a GT3 R for track use.”
If that lineup sounds more Porsche 911 than Corvette, you’re not far off. Far from a token effort, it’s a comprehensive life-cycle approach engineered to give the Korean brand a legitimate footprint in the supercar space.
Genesis Magma GT Concept
The brand is taking a page out of other high-end supercar playbooks. The Magma GT will serve as the only Genesis built exclusively as a Magma-line product, sitting apart from regular Genesis sedans and crossovers.
It’ll also be the foundation for Genesis’ first GT3 racer, with the homologation requirement mandating at least 250 road-going versions, but Donckerwolke says the company intends to build “substantially” more.
What Will Power It?
Genesis hasn’t locked in a powertrain for the production model yet. The concept used a V8, but Donckerwolke noted that final decisions will be shaped by customer demand and the performance needs of GT3 competition.
That leaves the door open for electrified support or a completely different engine configuration. Of course, sticking with eight cylinders would certainly send a message, especially in the direction of GM and its hugely successful Corvette C8 in North America.
Illustrations Thanos Pappas/Carscoops
“Our design and engineering will be completely different… applying the Genesis recipe of refinement and athletic performance will give it special positioning,” said Donckerwolke of comparisons to cars like the Porsche 911.
Hyundai Motor Group tech boss Manfred Harrer, who previously worked on the 911, echoed that sentiment. “We cannot go up against such an icon,” he said. “We have to find our own way.”
Regardless of which corner of the supercar market the new model lands, we just hope it provides great value for money. That’s likely the only way that it can gain a truly lasting foothold.
