Genesis has a habit of releasing some of the most beautiful concept cars in the world, and then… making us wait.
Revealed alongside the production-ready GV60 Magma at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France, the Genesis Magma GT Concept is the latest tease from the Korean luxury brand. And if this is what the next decade of Hyundai’s premium brand looks like, the Germans should be worried.
While the GV60 Magma is a car you’ll be able to buy in 2026, the Magma GT Concept is the ‘north star’ for Genesis’ high-performance future.
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The company calls it a “symbolic definition” of its performance heritage. We call it the electric (or hybrid) halo car the brand desperately needs to glue its new Magma sub-brand together.
A rolling statement
Visually, the Magma GT Concept is a clear evolution of the X Gran Berlinetta concept shown previously. It features the same impossibly low stance, the dash-to-axle ratio of a classic grand tourer, and the signature ‘Two Lines’ lighting signature that wraps around the front fenders.
It’s draped in the sub-brand’s signature Magma Orange, a colour inspired by the “Distinctly Korean” ethos (and perhaps a nod to Korea’s volcanic geography).
Unlike the GV60 Magma, which is a track weapon based on a practical compact electric crossover, the GT Concept is unashamedly a sports car. It features heavy aerodynamic sculpting, massive wheel-arches, and a rear diffuser that looks like it was lifted from a Le Mans prototype.
What powers it?
Genesis is keeping the specific drivetrain details for this concept under wraps, likely because it serves as a design study rather than a engineering prototype.
However, its sibling concept, the X Gran Berlinetta, was theoretically powered by a front/mid mounted Lambda 11 V6 engine electrically assisted to produce a staggering 799kW (1071hp) of power and 1337Nm of torque.
Whether the Magma GT Concept envisions a similar hybrid monster or a pure-electric high-output setup (potentially using the company’s next-generation ‘eM’ platform) remains to be seen.
Will they build it?
This is the million-dollar question. Genesis chief creative officer Luc Donckerwolke has famously said that he doesn’t like to design cars that don’t reach production.
“Magma is not a program derived from a single model but a high-performance experimental journey,” the company said in its press release.
The reality is that while Genesis has excellent sedans and SUVs, it lacks a dedicated ‘halo’ car to anchor its performance credentials. BMW has the M4 and M8. Mercedes-AMG has the GT. Audi has the RS e-tron GT.
Currently, Genesis has no two-door coupe in its Australian showroom.
If the brand is serious about its ‘Luxury High Performance’ positioning – and its investment in the Magma sub-brand suggests it is – a production version of the Magma GT would be the ultimate statement of intent.
For now, we can only look and hope.
