Tag Archives: Luc Donckerwolke

Why “Cool” Matters

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Every OEM creates vehicles that are termed “athletic.” But Genesis does something else, too. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

At the Liwa Oasis, United Arab Emirates, Genesis presented its latest concept vehicle, the X Skorpio Concept.

What’s interesting about this vehicle is that according to the company the X Skorpio Concept is “an off-road concept vehicle designed to perform across demanding terrain including deserts, in the Rub’ al Khali ‘Empty Quarter’ desert in the United Arab Emirates.”

Which seems somewhat specific.

But presumably vehicles like this would have more appeal in that part of the world than, say, Kansas, though it would also likely be seen crawling along places like Collins Avenue in South Beach (where the Brembo Motorsports brakes will get a workout as the X-Skorpio Concept is fitted with a 1,100- hp V8).

The X Skorpio Concept: when you want to drive the dunes in luxury. (Image: Genesis)

Talking about the marque’s approach to developing concept vehicles, Genesis Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke said:

“We create concept cars to inspire and ignite authentic passion for our vision. They are designed to deepen the emotional connection with our customers by showcasing the ultimate desirability they’ve always dreamt of. At Genesis, we craft cars that drive emotional expansion, showcasing not only our design philosophy but also the future technologies that personalize and elevate lifestyles.”

Which sounds pretty much like what all auto designers say about developing concepts and production vehicles.

But there’s something that is notable about the Genesis approach.

Again, like many brands, there is a design philosophy that the designers hew to. In the case of Genesis this is termed “Athletic Elegance.” (It is remarkable how often terms related to athleticism are applied to vehicles—“taut forms,” “strong haunches,” etc.—even though a point of driving is not having to run or walk to one’s destination.)

Here’s the Genesis difference:

There are “three emotional facets” involved in creating designs predicated on “Athletic Elegance.”

They are:

  • Luxury: Rewarding experiences exemplified by Korean refinement through intricate craftsmanship, understated beauty and meticulous attention to detail.
  • Sport: Represents quiet confidence equipped with ample power for those who enjoy challenges while balancing speed and composure.
  • Cool: Embodying adventurous and lifestyle-driven designs driven by individual taste and self-expression.

And what’s cool is that they actually use the word “cool.”

While designers use that word when talking about what they’ve done, it is almost never admitted to be a defining factor by car companies.

“Luxury” and “Sport”—no problem.

But “Cool”?

This undoubtedly contributes to how Genesis not only produces concept cars that are cool, but production vehicles, as well.

And that’s very cool.

Genesis: Clever Exterior Color for Racing

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Going fast. And paying attention to detail. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Because of the seemingly obligatory nature of being a luxury brand and having a racing team of some sort—in this case, Genesis Magma Racing participating in the 2025 European Le Mans Series with an objective to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026 and the IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA) in 2027—the company has developed a LMDh endurance prototype hypercar that is intended to be the precursor to a bona fide vehicle that will run in the WEC and IMSA events in the future.

Of the vehicle, which was designed at Genesis Design Europe, Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis Chief Creative Officer, said, “The GMR-001 Hypercar, like every race car, is a sculpture designed by the constraints of efficiency and performance – combined with the design DNA of Genesis – the brand with the Two Lines.”

The two lines mentioned are the lighting signatures, both front and rear.

Genesis gets creative with color. (Image: Genesis)

While there was particular attention paid to making the vehicle as aerodynamic as possible, there are a couple of interesting non-aero design elements worth noting:

  1. The paint. The primary color is “Magna orange.” The color starts bright at the front of the vehicle then becomes darker as it moves toward the rear. There it is deep red. This is to indicate both the engine (i.e., red hot) as well as sound: The Doppler effect. That is, the sound is a higher pitch when the object—like a race car with a twin-turbo V8—approaches you and then becomes lower as it moves away. So brighter to darker, higher to lower.
  2. The use of Korean Hangeul lettering spelling “Magna” integrated into the design 마그마.

In both cases, it is indicative of the attention to detail that you can find in vehicles at your local Genesis dealership—vehicles that aren’t going to compete in any race series, but which do have the Two Line lighting.