Genesis Hires Racing Legend To Transform Brand

Genesis has announced that it will be collaborating with former Formula 1 driver and Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx, who joins the brand as an official partner, acting as both ambassador and advisor. Ickx will be working closely with the brand's head designer, Luc Donckerwolke, indicating that his input will be tangible in the automaker's future cars.

«We are delighted with this unique partnership with Jacky Ickx,» commented Donckerwolke. «With his phenomenal achievements, invaluable knowledge, and desire to influence the revolution of the automotive landscape, Jacky aligns perfectly with our brand values.»

Ickx said that he wants «to live in the future, move on from the past, reinvent, move forward.»

A partnership of this sort should not be surprising, given all that is said to be going on at the Korean automaker. We've heard rumors of a hybridized BMW rival in development, seen the rollout of a bespoke program targeting ultra-luxury clientele who would normally buy from the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce, and found evidence of intentions to launch a sports car, likely called the GT90.

Genesis has been showing a very dramatic sports car concept called the Speedium in various guises since November 2022, and now that it has a real motorsport legend on the team, we can't help but ponder if Ickx's arrival is in preparation for the launch of a production-bound Speedium coupe or convertible.

Given the Hyundai Motor Group's past eye for hires, the acquisition of Ickx's services could be telling. In 2015, Hyundai enlisted the services of one Albert Biermann, who had spent more than three decades at BMW. Biermann retired from his role as head of R&D at Hyundai N in 2021, but before then, he oversaw the launch of several game-changing vehicles that transformed the brand's image among enthusiasts, including the i20 N, the i30 N, and the gorgeous Stinger. Without Biermann's help nearly a decade ago, today's Ioniq 5 N may never have had a chance to even exist.

We're not suggesting that Ickx's advisory role would have as great an impact at Genesis, but we are pointing out that it will be important to the brand's ambitions of transcending itself and competing with Europe's best.