Do not adjust your sets, the Genesis Le Mans 24hrs programme is GO

No, Phil Collins isn’t eyeing up a tilt at the world’s greatest endurance race: Genesis - that is, the premium arm of Hyundai Motor Group and not, y’know, the band - has announced that it will take on the World Endurance Championship.

Huh? Not Hyundai itself with the N brand that it’s worked so hard to establish by means of rallying success hot hatch mastery… Genesis. With its SUVs and exec saloons.

It’s a head-scratcher, and in a short release this morning the brand gives few clues to explain the move: “The LMDh programme will add another pillar to Hyundai Motorsport's portfolio. Since its establishment in 2012, Hyundai Motorsport has been competing in WRC and TCR with [the] Hyundai N brand.

"Genesis, the premium brand of the Hyundai Motor Group will add endurance racing to the disciplines of its motorsport activities.”

Hmm. Genesis does have its Magma performance line in the works, with a sporty version of the GV60 coming online in 2025. And the latest intel is that it's going big on hybrids because its customers want those more than electric cars. So that stacks up.

In the background, Hyundai has also reportedly been getting cold feet over its WRC programme, which is currently in flux because the future of the series’ hybrid rules is uncertain. Hyundai isn’t committed beyond the end of 2025, and so it might have the capacity to build an entirely different type of race car before too long.

Perhaps we can glean more info from the statement issued via FIA WEC? “Genesis is proud to announce its ambitious entry into the world of endurance racing through the LMDh programme. Genesis is actively exploring programmes to strengthen its high-performance image, and after a thorough evaluation of various options, LMDh emerged as the most strategic choice for us at this time.

"We have carefully analysed LMDh and found it to be a natural fit for our motorsport ambitions and a valuable platform to drive the development of future mobility technologies for road cars. Endurance racing presents an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Genesis’ cutting-edge technology, design philosophy and performance-driven character in a highly competitive arena. This project is part of our broader vision for the future of mobility.”

All of which is well and good, but we've still got no idea when it plans to join the grid. 2026? Later than that? Who knows. We’ve also no clear idea on who will build the all-important chassis: entrants can work with Dallara, Ligier, Mutimatic or Oreca, or go the Ferrari route and build an entire hypercar from scratch.

We’ll find out in good time. Just imagine though. Le Mans, the Mulsanne straight, night has fallen; the LMDh Genesis makes a lunge for the lead and as it does so, “I CAN FEEL IT COMING IN THE AIR TONIGHT” begins blaring from a hidden speaker. The sound of a drum solo reverberates through the crowd. It’s going to be epic.