There's this scene in Tokyo Drift where Han says "What you want me to roll up in, a Hyundai?" Like it's the most embarrassing thing imaginable. A punchline. The automotive equivalent of showing up to prom in your mom's minivan (which I did, thank you!).

Well, Han... yes. Actually, yes.

Because while you were drifting around Tokyo in 2006, Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis just unveiled two cars that would make you reconsider everything.

The GV60 Magma: 650 Horsepower of "We're Not Playing Anymore"

Genesis just launched the GV60 Magma, their first high-performance production model, with 650 horsepower, 790 Nm of torque, and a 0-200 km/h time of 10.9 seconds. It's an electric SUV that does what your Silvia did, except faster, quieter, and without having to source sketchy parts from Japan.

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It has Drift Mode. Launch Control. A Virtual Gear Shift System that mimics the sound and feel of a high-revving engine. They literally programmed fake shifting into an electric car because they understood that driving feel matters as much as raw performance.

The design is restrained. No giant wings. No aggressive aero. Just wide fenders, 21-inch forged wheels, 275mm tires, and a functional rear spoiler that generates actual downforce. It's what happens when a luxury brand decides to make something fast without looking desperate about it.

The Magma GT Concept: Genesis Says They're Going Racing

But here's where it gets interesting. Genesis also unveiled the Magma GT Concept, a mid-engine sports car that represents their performance vision for the next decade. This isn't a show car. This is Genesis announcing they're developing it into a production halo car and planning to enter GT-category racing.

Genesis. The luxury brand that didn't exist when Tokyo Drift came out. Is building a mid-engine race car. To compete in actual motorsport.

Luc Donckerwolke, their Chief Creative Officer, said "This is not simply a faster Genesis. It is the most complete expression of Genesis performance to date."

How Did We Get Here?

Twenty years ago, Hyundai was the punchline. The budget option. The car you bought when you couldn't afford what you actually wanted. Han's dismissive comment in Tokyo Drift wasn't even mean... it was just obvious. Of course you wouldn't roll up in a Hyundai. Nobody would.

But somewhere between 2006 and now, something shifted. Hyundai created Genesis as a standalone luxury brand. They hired designers from Bentley and Lamborghini. They started making cars that competed with BMW and Mercedes on design, quality, and features.

And now they're making 650-horsepower electric SUVs with drift modes and planning to go GT racing with a mid-engine sports car.

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Genesis CEO José Muñoz said "Genesis achieved one million global sales faster than any luxury marque in history. Magma represents our declaration that the next ten years will be even more significant."

The Bigger Point

This isn't really about Genesis or Hyundai or even whether these cars are actually good (though they look incredible). It's about how quickly automotive culture's assumptions become outdated.

In 2006, "rolling up in a Hyundai" was a joke because everyone knew what Hyundai was. Budget. Boring. Forgettable. Although, I think that narrative is a bit harsh, and I have some personal ties to Hyundai’s past that I’ll share in a future issue, the cultural shorthand was so established that it worked as a throwaway line in a movie about street racing.

But culture moves faster than we think. Brands evolve. What was embarrassing becomes interesting. What was a punchline becomes legitimate.

Twenty years from now, what are we dismissing today that will be the thing everyone wants? What brand are we sleeping on? What technology are we writing off as a gimmick that will fundamentally change how we think about cars?

Because if you told me in 2006 that Hyundai's luxury division would be making 650-horsepower drift-mode electric SUVs and planning to go GT racing, I would have assumed you were describing a fever dream.

But here we are.

So Yes, Han…

You should absolutely roll up in a Hyundai. Well, a Genesis. But still.

Because the GV60 Magma makes 650 horsepower. Because the Magma GT Concept looks like it belongs on a track at Le Mans. Because Genesis went from not existing to selling a million cars faster than any luxury brand in history.

Because automotive culture's assumptions about what's cool and what's not are constantly being rewritten by brands that decide to actually try.

And because in 20 years, someone's going to make a movie where a character dismisses rolling up in whatever we currently think is aspirational, and it'll be just as outdated as your Hyundai joke was.

Progress is perfection. Even when it comes from brands you didn't see coming.

-Nick
Founder, PURSUIT OF SOMETHING

P.S. - The GV60 Magma launches in Korea at the start of 2026, then Europe and North America later in the year. The Magma GT Concept is still in development, but Genesis confirmed it's becoming a production car. If Han were real, he'd probably be on the waitlist for both. Maybe real life Han, aka Sung Kang will be, too.

About Pursuit of Something: I'm Nick, and I'm building a community for everyone who's ever had a complex emotional relationship with a machine that doesn't care about them. Through YouTube videos, this newsletter, and way too much time in my garage, I document the beautiful chaos of automotive ownership.