Zarooq Sand Racer, a car built for dunes and roads

It looks like a scale model from some racing game, but it is the first car to come out of the Zarooq factory. The Sand Racer is designed to be driven on roads all over the world, with all the necessary homologations, but also to venture into the most demanding desert and tackle the toughest dunes without blinking.

It was designed by Anthony Jannarelly, also the creator of the Lykan Hypersport, and it counts on the Spanish studio Campos Racing as its partner in the design and manufacture of the chassis. The result is what you can see in this image gallery, although the car has not yet been fully assembled. Although it was conceived for the world of competition, it has been equipped with all the comforts needed to be a street car, and truth be told, many of its buyers will surely use it that way.

The Sand Racer is equipped to drive on any road in the world as well as on sand dunes

Of course, if they dare to venture into the desert, the 3.5-litre V6 engine, capable of delivering 300 CV, sent to the rear axle through a six-speed automatic gearbox, will allow it to move its 1,000 kg, distributed 60/40 between the front and rear axles, across sandy terrain without trouble. It is not a large car, measuring just 4.2 m long, 2 m wide and 1.2 m high, which favours its movement over off-road terrain and gives it great versatility, even without all-wheel drive.

It uses 15-inch wheels fitted with tyres suited to the purpose for which the car was built, which give it that untamed and daring look. For the boldest drivers, and with a view to future participation in dune circuit events, there is a Performance version. In it, engine power rises to 400 CV, or there is even talk of 500 CV, and the suspension is replaced by one specific to the most demanding tests.

For those who want to drive in the city, the Finishing model has all the comforts

The Finishing variant comes with a finish designed for everyday use, with custom paint, air conditioning, an infotainment system and even a glovebox, so it can be driven in any city in the world with every comfort. The model will be presented in both versions in January 2016, and rumour has it that its price would be around 100,000 dollars on the Saudi Arabian market, and that it would reach Europe in the not-too-distant future.

To celebrate the arrival of this model, a project for a sand track has also been presented, so the car can be pitted against similar vehicles, and there is even talk of a one-make competition. But that is still a long way off…