Jacky Ickx returns to Dakar at 80 with Genesis GV80 Desert Edition [Video]

• Genesis brand ambassador Jacky Ickx, 80, drove part of the 2025 Dakar Rally in a GV80
• Ickx drove a bespoke GV80 known as the Desert Edition
• The GV80 Desert Edition features a stance 40 millimeters wider than stock

Belgian racing legend Jacky Ickx took part this month in the 2025 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia behind the wheel of a one-off Genesis GV80 SUV called the Desert Edition.

The winner of multiple Formula 1 races as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a Genesis brand ambassador and closely involved in the development of the automaker’s LMDh endurance race car, and the return to Dakar marks another milestone in his collaboration with the brand.

Ickx, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, has a storied history with the Dakar Rally, having claimed victory in 1983. This year, he tackled the grueling event alongside his daughter Vanina, covering approximately 3,700 miles of the rally’s 5,000-mile route across the Saudi Arabian desert. …