Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Tribute concept honours Jacky Ickx

To honour the prestigious career of Belgian racing legend Jacky Ickx, Genesis has created the X Gran Berlinetta Tribute concept. This design study is a further development of the X Gran Berlinetta VGT concept, a design presented at the Gran Turismo World Series Finals in 2023.

The X Gran Berlinetta Tribute debuted at an exclusive event preceding Watches and Wonders Geneva, where Chopard’s new Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph JX7 models (developed in collaboration between Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and Jacky Ickx) were presented. The timepiece is abundant with symbols and references tothe driver’s achievements, such as his emblematic helmet.

Paying homage to the impressive career of Ickx, the bespoke showcar is finished in a special Midnight Blue colour with a single white stripe, evoking Ickx’ iconic racing helmet. Like the X Gran Berlinetta which is the flagship concept of the Genesis Magma Line, it embodies the most emotional expression of the Genesis brand’s characteristic: Athletic Elegance design philosophy.

The concept features Genesis’ new front fascia that abstracts the Crest Grille and links it with the Quad Lights. This structures the volumes and connects the front and rear with Genesis’ Two Lines brand identifier in a lightweight aerodynamic construction.

The side profile sports a generous dash-to-axle ratio that moves the driver and powertrain rearward for a lean mid-engine layout. The contrast of the energetic body sculpture with technical aero details accentuates the powerful form.

The rear design is refined further with a rear spoiler and lateral trailing edges for aerodynamic high-speed stability. The fuselage extrudes towards the rear, culminating in an elliptical concave volume, common to Genesis vehicles.

Maximising focus on the racetrack
With Genesis’ Beauty of White Space attitude in mind, the X Gran Berlinetta Tribute offers a clean environment for the driver. Essential functions are prioritised to maximise focus while on the racetrack.

The digital panoramic interface serves as an information centre, linked to the surround digital monitoring system which provides unobstructed views of nearby cars. The steer-by-wire grip commands allow for precise and decisive manoeuvring, giving the driver a competitive edge.

The X Gran Berlinetta Concept is powered by a front mid-mounted Lambda 11 V6 engine, electrically assisted by Genesis E-SC technology. The hybrid race-spec drivetrain, which is envisioned to deliver a total of 799 kW and 1,337 Nm of torque, can spin up to 10,000 rpm, with the Yasa E motor generating 150 kW and 266 Nm.

About Jacky Ickx
78-year old Jacky Ickx is a legend in motorsports, having started his racing career (on motorcycles) in the early 1960s as a teenager. After doing his national service in the Belgian army, he began racing cars, starting with a Lotus Cortina and by 1965, made his name known when he won his class in the European Touring Car Championship.

From that time, his name began to appear at the top of race results frequently. In Formula 1, he raced for Cooper, Ferrari, Brabham, McLaren, Williams, Lotus, Wolf–Williams, Ensign and Ligier. He won the 8 Formula 1 races and stepped onto the podium 25 times, but it was in endurance racing that he was legendary. He won the Le Mans 24-hour race a record-breaking 6 times (between 1969 and 1982), and completed the gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally no fewer than 13 times.

Ickx retired from racing after 1985 though he has remained very much a recognisable figure at major events and as Chopard’s brand ambassador. His daughter, Vanina, is following in his tyre tracks and takes part in various racing series, including rally-raids and even the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

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