How Genesis Quietly Out-BMW'd BMW by Hiring Its Top Talent

BMW practically invented the modern sports sedan. The German automaker’s M division set the benchmark for fast, driver-focused four-doors, and the BMW M3 became the car every rival wanted to beat. So when Hyundai decided to take on the establishment with its Genesis luxury brand, it didn’t try to reinvent the wheel.

Instead, it hired the people who drew the original blueprints.

In 2014, Hyundai poached two heavy hitters from BMW: Fayez Abdul Rahman, who led architecture on the 7 Series and M line, and Albert Biermann, the former head of BMW M Performance. They joined Genesis before the brand even had its own lineup. The result? The Hyundai Genesis sedan was reborn as the G80 in 2017, and the G70 sport sedan arrived in 2019.

Under the hood, the numbers tell a familiar story: a twin-turbo V6 pushing 365 horsepower in the G70, and a V8 producing 420 horses in the G80. But the real magic is in the suspension tuning—a blend of comfort and agility that feels distinctly German.

The early Hyundai Genesis was a decent luxury car, but it lacked the driving spark that makes BMWs special. With Biermann and Rahman steering the engineering, Genesis found its groove. The G70 won praise for its athletic handling and premium interior, while the G80 racked up safety awards and a JD Power nod for dependability.

Genesis sold 61,021 units globally in its first year as a standalone brand. Hyundai’s smartest move wasn’t just building a better car—it was waiting until it had the right people to build it. Now the Korean upstart sells about 220,000 cars a year worldwide, proving that if you can’t beat the Germans, hiring them works just as well.