Genesis had something special in store for Jacky Ickx this holiday season.
Earlier this week, the Korean luxury marque took to Instagram to show off the one-off GV80 “Desert Edition” it had given to its famous brand ambassador. The souped-up SUV retains the base model’s sophisticated styling but features the kind of off-roading hardware you’d expect to find on a Dakar Rally entrant.
That’s not a coincidence, as this year’s edition of the grueling two-week-long rally kicks off in Saudi Arabia this Friday. Ickx may be best known for his exploits behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, but he entered the off-road endurance race 14 times, including in 1983, when he won while driving for Mercedes.
Jacky Icyx and the Genesis GV80 “Desert Edition”
genesis_europe/Instagram
The Desert Edition doesn’t look radically different than the standard GV80, but comes outfitted with several off-roading goodies guaranteed to do more than just look good. The most noticeable difference is the ride height, which has been given a boost. The front bumper has also been swapped out for a more rugged alternative that includes a metal skid plate, while red tow hooks and yellow fog lamps have been added to the front fascia. There’s also a set of protruding fender flares, a set of all-black wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, and a roof rack equipped with a light bar for carrying any additional gear.
No details about the unique GV80’s powertrain are mentioned in the Instagram post, but the SUV you can buy at your local Genesis dealer comes with either a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four or a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6. The more powerful of the two mills makes 375 horses in the top-of-the-line Prestige variant and is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system.
Ickx signing the engine shroud of the GV80 Desert Edition
genesis_europe/Instagram
Unfortunately, the GV80 Desert Edition seems to be a strict one-off at this point. Still, the Genesis refers to the SUV as a “concept” on Instagram and it has shown a willingness to put show cars into production in the past. Here’s hoping Icyx’s example won’t remain the only GV80 Desert Edition for much longer.
