MOUNTAIN MAGIC: JACKY ICKX AND GENESIS CONQUER BATHURST AS X GRAN BERLINETTA MAKES DYNAMIC DEBUT

• Motor racing royalty descended on the Mount Panorama circuit as the legendary Jacky Ickx returned to Bathurst, 45 years after race win
• Ickx drove demonstration laps of the legendary circuit in the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Concept on its global dynamic debut
• Racing legend also took to the track in GV60 Magma Concept
• Ickx donated 1977 Bathurst 1000 winning trophy to the National Motor Racing Museum

Frankfurt, Germany, 31 January 2025:  International motor racing legend and 1977 Bathurst 1000 victor, Jacky Ickx, has returned to Mount Panorama, thrilling the crowds in the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Concept as it made its global dynamic debut.

Genesis brand partner Jacky Ickx took the wheel of the stunning Genesis Concept car for some spirited laps during the build-up to the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race.

 Ickx also drove the famous Bathurst track in the GV60 Magma Concept, an all-electric luxury high-performance car that represents a new and exciting era for the brand. The GV60 Magma is set to enter production later this year, becoming the first Genesis Magma model to go on sale.

Genesis GV60 Magma Concept has previously demonstrated its exceptional capabilities at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024, claiming a class win in the four-seater production car category, and taking an impressive 16^th place overall.

Despite not having seen the globally revered Mount Panorama circuit for more than 45 years, Ickx was always going to remember his way around.

“It’s been a while but what I felt and noticed was that, like all the world’s greatest motor racing circuits – Monaco, Nürburgring or Spa – it has barely changed over the years. They’ve put a kink in that giant Conrod Straight to slow people down, but it’s still a fantastically challenging track with plenty of rise and fall,” said Ickx.

“I was blown away by the X Gran Berlinetta Concept, which was a wildly powerful and loud machine to drive. I could tell the crowd really enjoyed both the sight and the sound as I went by. Being an EV, my laps in the Genesis GV60 Magma Concept were quite different, and a lot quieter, but the torque and the thrust you get from a modern electric vehicle like that… truly, it’s quite something. The GV60 Magma Concept feels a long way from the Ford Falcon I drove here last time, and quite a lot faster. It was a real honour and pleasure, to show off these two very special vehicles for the public. And I loved the opportunity to tackle ‘The Mountain’ again.”

Ickx started out racing motorbikes in 1960 before entering the world of Formula One in 1967, winning eight Grand Prix titles and scoring 25 podiums. The Belgian simultaneously tackled the world of endurance racing, winning the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans a then-record six times. In 1977, Ickx achieved the famous Bathurst 1000 win at his first visit to the track, co-driving for Allan Moffat in the Ford Falcon XC V8.

He was united with that car again on Thursday where he presented the winning trophy from 1977 to the Bathurst Town Mayor, Robert Taylor. At the request of Allan Moffat, the trophy will now be permanently displayed in the National Motor Racing Museum (Mount Panorama), next to the 1977 Ford Falcon XC V8 both he and Jacky Ickx drove to victory that year.

Genesis Magma Racing

Genesis recently announced its intention to enter the world of endurance motorsport with the launch of Genesis Magma Racing and will compete in the prestigious World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026, followed by the IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA) in 2027.

This exciting venture will put Genesis on the world’s most challenging tracks, showcasing the brand’s engineering expertise and endurance capabilities and bring its signature “Athletic Elegance” to the world of motorsport.

By entering the LMDh sports prototype category, Genesis joins an elite group of manufacturers vying for success on the world’s most prestigious racing stages. Iconic endurance events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Daytona 24 require teams to balance peak performance with durability and efficiency, testing both machinery and drivers to their limits.

Notes to Editors

About X Gran Berlinetta Concept

The stunning X Gran Berlinetta Concept was created as part of Polyphony Digital’s Vision Gran Turismo series and first shown at the 2023 Gran Turismo World Series World Finals in Barcelona, Spain. It has been available to race in the virtual world of the game since January 2024.

About Genesis

Founded in South Korea, Genesis offers premium cars with a luxury experience and is committed to delivering an exceptional service to its customers. From its European headquarters in Frankfurt, Genesis Motor Europe operates in Germany, Switzerland and the UK. Since launching in Europe in 2021, the brand has received multiple company and product award wins across all three markets.

The Genesis range includes three dynamic pure electric models as well as the most recent addition, Genesis G90, the brand’s flagship luxury saloon. Central to Genesis’ identity is the distinctive design language of ‘Athletic Elegance’, blended with the very latest technology to deliver state-of-the-art customer features. Genesis is dedicated to a sustainable future and aims to become a carbon net zero by 2035.

For more information about Genesis and its definition of premium, please visit www.genesis.com.