Hyundai, through its luxury brand Genesis, has announced its participation in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) from 2026 onwards, by building a prototype based on the LMDh regulations. Developed in partnership with French company Oreca, the car shares its mechanical base and monocoque with the Acura ARX-06 and Alpine A424 prototypes and was presented yesterday (12/04) at an event in Dubai. The WEC operation will be carried out by IDEC Sport, with the base of operations being located in the south of France, near the Paul Ricard racetrack and the headquarters of Oreca and IDEC. The team’s first drivers were also announced: Brazilian Pipo Derani and German André Lotterer.
Tech Analysis
The car presented is still a model, so the final version for homologation will for sure have differences to what was shown, however it is possible to see some interesting elements in the images and videos shared so far.
At the front, the GMR-001 adopts the same “beam” concept (1) as the Acura ARX-06 for the bodywork, connecting the two headlights, but with an apparently longer chord. The nose of the car is lower, connecting to the front splitter under the “beam” (2). It is interesting to note the robust double support for the beam (3), which is an indication of a significant aerodynamic load on this element, and the two air intakes (4) stand out, probably directed to the front brakes.
From the middle to the rear, however, the GMR-001 bears greater similarities to Ferrari’s LMH prototype, with the presence of fences (5) on the roof – a feature that has become common on several LMH and LMDh. The dorsal fin also has a similar layout (6), connecting to a two-element spoiler (7) and with endplates connecting to the rear fairing in a similar way (8), with a solution also similar to that adopted by the Sigma P1 G5 prototypes in 2024.
In this image, after some editing, it is possible to identify some details such as the air intakes for the cockpit (9), the ventilation openings of the front wheel arches, a.k.a. BHHs (10). We can also see the ventilation grilles of the sidepods (11), and the air intakes of the rear brakes (12) and openings of the rear wheel arches (13). It is also interesting to note the presence of sort of a biplane wing (14), another similarity with the Ferrari 499P.
Images of the rear of the GMR-001 have not yet been released, but from the promotional video it is possible to partially see the rear diffuser, with two strakes (15) to divide the air flow. It is also possible to see the two exhaust outlets on the engine cover (16). The engine will be a twin-turbo V8, which will use much of Hyundai’s experience from WRC with the 1.6L engine of the i20 N Rally 1, using components such as pistons, connecting rods, liners, combustion chamber and valve train similar but in a V8 block. If the dimensions of the WRC engine are kept, this would result in a 3.2-liter V8.
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