Motor racing legend Jacky Ickx returned to Mount Panorama today, 45 years after his historic Bathurst 1000 victory, to take on the iconic circuit once again. The Belgian racing great thrilled crowds at the start of the Bathurst 12 Hour by piloting the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Concept in its global racetrack debut, alongside the all-electric Genesis GV60 Magma concept.
Ickx, now 80, took to the track in the striking X Gran Berlinetta concept, which is a machine developed as part of Polyphony Digital’s Vision Gran Turismo series. First revealed at the 2023 Gran Turismo World Series Finals in Barcelona, the concept car has been available in the virtual racing world since January last year.
The legend also took the GV60 Magma concept for a lap. This is a high-performance electric vehicle that will hit Aussie showrooms in 2026. It already made a name for itself at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it secured a class win in the four-seater production car category and placed an impressive 16th overall in the weekend’s Shootout.
With production set to commence later this year, the GV60 Magma will be the first Magma model to hit the market. It’s set to feature the same (or similar) electric powertrain from the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, producing around 478kW.
Reflecting on his return to Bathurst, Ickx described the X Gran Berlinetta Concept as a “wildly powerful
and loud machine” to drive. He said:
“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.”
Adding to the significance of the occasion, Ickx reunited with the Ford Falcon XC V8 that carried him and Allan Moffat to victory in 1977. At Moffat’s request, Ickx officially handed over their Bathurst-winning trophy to the Bathurst Town Mayor, Robert Taylor, ensuring it will be permanently displayed in the National Motor Racing Museum alongside their victorious Falcon.
The Genesis X Gran Berlinetta concept will be doing more laps around the circuit on the weekend for fans to enjoy. Racing for the Bathurst 12 Hour starts at 5:45am on Sunday.
