Zarooq Sand Racer Concept Looks Familiar, Promises to be Different

BOLD RIDE

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Posted by Jeff Perez 

                               

 

We live in a world where cars like the Local Motors Rally Fighter exist—and that’s a good thing. What’s essentially a Baja racer for the road, the Rally Fighter ticks all the right boxes for the off-road enthusiast in your family. But dare said enthusiast want something a bit more…exotic (?). One middle-eastern company hopes to supply the solution.

They call themselves Zarooq Motors, and the unknown startup was founded by prominent UAE motorsports figure Mohammed Al Qadi and former French racer Bruno Laffite, according to Motoringme.com. The chassis and engineering, on the other hand, comes from Campos Racing, a reputable name with over 30 years of experience in the industry.

With all that experience, it’s surprising then that the resemblance to the Rally Fighter is so uncanny (almost too uncanny). Nonetheless, the vehicle promises to deliver unparalleled off-road performance with a lightweight frame and racing roots.

Under the hood you’ll find a 3.5-liter V6 and just 304 horsepower. It may not sound like much, but the 2,204-pound body is significantly light for something in the same class—and even more important, sits in the middle of the car rather than the front. For comparisons’ sake, the front-engined Rally Fighter produces 430 horsepower, but weighs in at a heftier 3,800 pounds.

While the Sand Racer is just a concept at the moment, Zarooq plans to begin deliveries starting in 2016, and has even purchased a 100-acres of land near Dubai with intentions to build a track facility and include a driver training school. It sounds promising, let’s hope the venture proves fruitful.