Genesis confirms appetite for V8 Magma GT

Genesis has all but confirmed its striking Magma GT concept is destined for production, with senior executives revealing the brand has a strong appetite for a V8-powered halo car and suggesting the concept’s evolution points to where Genesis is headed next.

Forget what you think you know about Korean luxury brands going all-in on electrification; Genesis wants a proper, thumping V8 supercar and the Magma GT concept is the clearest sign yet it's coming.

Speaking to carsales at the launch of its first ever high-performance Magma model, the GV60, Genesis and Hyundai Australia executives made no secret of where their ambitions lie.

Asked directly whether a V8 still has a place in the brand's performance future, Genesis Australia product planning and development manager Tim Rodgers didn't rule it out – far from it.

“We have the technical prowess to express that kind of performance in a few different ways,” he said, which suggests that turbocharging, electric boosting and perhaps even something left-field is being cooked up.

“We have a lot of options. We have a lot of ideas... we're going to exercise them.”

The Genesis Magma GT is a mid-engine, butterfly-doored concept that's looked more production-ready with every showing and has been confirmed to be running a V8 of some sort.

Genesis hasn't confirmed outputs or configuration, but the direction marks a deliberate break from the industry's rush to downsize and electrify everything.

Global design boss Luc Donckerwolke has previously framed the car as less about brute aggression and more about creating a machine that feels instinctively connected to the driver; composed, tactile and effortless rather than intimidating.

Genesis Australia managing director Justin Douglass was bullish on whether there's local appetite for a two-door, mid-engine exotic GT coupe.

Asked exactly that, his answer left little doubt: “There's appetite for sure. There's appetite from us as an organisation to have it as well.

“It makes sense to us to have something to aspire to within the product portfolio like that.”

While stopping short of confirming a production model, Douglass pointed to the concept's continued evolution as the biggest clue.

“If you see the way we're iterating on the concept, I think that kind of shows our hand as to what direction we're going with it,” he said.

There’s no official timeline on the exotic new coupe from Genesis, but reports of production beginning in late 2027 or early 2028 have been making the rounds.

Genesis isn't alone in pursuing such a formula to improve its brand equity either.

GWM is developing its own mid-engine supercar powered by a twin-turbo V8 with hybrid assistance, targeting Ferrari as its performance benchmark.

Either way, the message from Genesis is becoming increasingly clear: the V8 isn't dead, the Magma GT is no longer just a design exercise, and the luxury brand intends to build a genuine halo model capable of taking on Europe's established performance marques.

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