Watch the Painstaking Process of Wrapping a Race Car

Car wraps—and I mean really good ones—take time. Even when you have a slabby canvas like a Tesla Cybertruck or Volkswagen ID.Buzz, the application process might be easier, but not necessarily look good. And then you’ve got the high-aero curves and whatnot of a race car. Genesis released an ASMR video of the team wrapping the racing livery onto its Le Mans hypercar, and it’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes watch.

The roughly 15-minute video is an expedient look at the easy and not-so-easy parts of car wrapping. Depending on who you ask, wrapping a full vehicle takes anywhere from several hours to several days, though a consensus seems to be two to three days. But Genesis’ brief window provides plenty of vinyl drama. 

The ordeal begins with tape. Just as you would tape off edges before painting a wall for guidance and protection, Genesis design boss Luc Donckerwolke is seen applying and readjusting tape strips on the cockpit glass. Because wraps are applied in sections, the pieces need to be perfect.

From the prep work of painstakingly cleaning every airflow vent of dust and laying out the pre-cut sections for visual confirmation to the application process of precision cutting, heating, stretching, and smoothing out the vinyl, it’s all captured in detail. 

The Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 Hypercar livery isn’t one pre-printed sheet. It’s actually multiple overlays for the team name lettering, the Korean-inspired characters, and the color gradients.

The end result is satisfying, but the video also doesn’t come close to showcasing how vibrant the GMR hypercar truly is. Thankfully, we only have to wait until next year to see the newest endurance racer on the grid.

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