The Zarooq SandRacer kind of looks like a Local Motors Rally Fighter made of Legos. Both cars are conceptually similar; hand-made off-road desert coupes. But the Dubai-based crew is promising something even sweeter; a spec racing series.
Zarooq Motorsport Director Mohammed Al Qadi explains:
“The Zarooq SandRacer was created in order to be able to organize an Off-road single-make championship and operate a sand racing track in Dubai.”
“We don’t aim at being a large scale manufacturer, but a solid niche player consistently delivering innovative and reliable cars.”
Before you get too excited, I’ll tell you it looks like the company is still building steam, not a car you can actually drive yet. But the idea is to do a limited run of bespoke vehicles that are fit for duty on an off-road course, and also have air conditioning for tooling around Dubai.
Zarooq says their vehicle will weigh about 2,300 pounds and run a 3.5 liter V6 in a 300 and 500 horsepower tunes.
The idea is then to sell them to folks who are into the idea of off-road racing, but maybe don’t want to make the massive logistical commitment to do Baja or the Dakar. Or they’ll just be bought by the filthy rich residents of Dubai, parked in garages and forgotten, but whatever right?
Of course Zarooq has a much less cynical vision. They’re imagining a “hardcore” true single-make championship racing series at a dedicated circuit, and a casual “arrive-and-drive” session for corporate groups, tourists, or people who just want to play with cars.
So it’d be kind of like karting, but bigger and faster.
Nothing is locked down yet regarding price or production time, but I’ve dropped Zarooq a line and will keep you posted as their story develops. Could be a pipe dream, but if there’s money for something like this anywhere it’s got to be the shimmering sand city of Dubai.
It’s high time the Rally Fighter had a rival, anyway. How long did they think they were going to dominate the long-travel, off-roading semi-practical sports coupe segment?
Images via Zarooq
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