The first test of a hypercar is not just a matter of taking it out for a jaunt around the track. It’s the culmination of months of patient work in the design office and the assembly shop, where each component is scrutinised. The Genesis GMR-001, driven by a 3.2-litre twin-turbo V8, is the result of a collaboration between Genesis Magma Racing and chassis manufacturer Oreca. “We had a programme that we were able to follow, so that's very promising for the whole team,” explained the team’s Technical Director François-Xavier Demaison. “At the moment, we’re purely focused on software, especially on the powertrain. It’s a hybrid car with many features that we need to manage properly.” The team’s engineers worked on calibrating the mechanical and electronic systems – a vital step in delivering power and ensuring reliability.

Firing up a Hypercar

When a development team rolls out a car for its first outing, it has a single aim in mind : to check that everything is working. But behind this apparently simple objective lies meticulous organisation and a lengthy job sheet. Checklists, telemetry sensors, driver briefing – nothing is left to chance.

For Genesis Magma Racing, these tests also provided an opportunity to move on from the initial engine running test to a real session on a circuit that is far more representative of those encountered in the FIA WEC. “On our first shakedowns, there were just baby steps to see that the car could move under its own power, could shift its own gears,” said Chief Engineer Justin Taylor. “Now we've been trying to push more towards being a real race car.”

To bring a Hypercar to life, nothing beats feedback from seasoned racing drivers. Three-time Le Mans winner André Lotterer and endurance specialist Pipo Derani took turns at the wheel of the GMR-001. Both offered their impressions of all the systems and suggested ways in which the car’s performance could be further enhanced. “The GMR-001 is obviously well born — the feedback is very natural, instinctive and it's fun to drive, but we are still working on everything,” said Lotterer. “It’s always an unknown when you jump into a new car,” added Derani. “You have high expectations, but with the GMR-001 we have a good base to start working from.”

A technical challenge

Genesis Magma Racing’s engineers pinpointed a few issues, as expected on any first test.  “It’s a new car and a new engine,”  explained Demaison. “It’s normal to have issues, but we have a good team of engineers to solve them as quickly as possible.”
The breaks between the sessions offered the engineers a window to work closely with their colleagues at Oreca to come up with solutions, and then put them into practice on their return to the track. Such to-ing and fro-ing between the workshop and the circuit is inevitable during any adjustment operations.

This first test run wrapped up the initial phase of Genesis Magma Racing’s development programme. The next stage will be to test the reliability of the GMR-001 over long distances, optimise its performance and hone the team’s organisation.

Photo gallery: Hypercars’ first outings

First runs are an endurance racing tradition. All the Hypercars entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans have negotiated this crucial step. Enjoy a look back through our selection of images captured when some of them made their eagerly awaited maiden outings.