Zarooq Motors unveils details about its Sand Racing Car ‘SandRacer’ in press conference during Abu Dhabi GP week.
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” explains Mohammed al Qadi.
“We have all the necessary skills in the UAE, from the design to the actual manufacturing of the chassis and the body as well as the final assembly, with our partners JJSpecial” added Mohammed.
“We wanted the car to be road legal, with AC, because we want it to be as practical as possible, even if it is a racing car” said Bruno Laffite. “The support and insights from the industry we get thanks to our partnership with Motorsport professionals like Campos Racing is of great value today for the car and tomorrow for our championship”, he added.
…with an objective of being a sustainable UAE car manufacturer and motorsport provider
Zarooq Motors aims at building a sustainable brand synonymous with off-road capability, racing-grade performance and iconic look. “We don’t aim at being a large scale manufacturer, but a solid niche player consistently delivering innovative and reliable cars” underlines Mohammed. “We are an Emirati company and we want to show the world what we are capable of.”
The aggressive and iconic look of the car revealed Anthony Jannarelly, came to global automotive industry fame as the designer of the W Motors Lykan and Fenyr. As part of JJSpecial, the Zarooq Sand Racing Car is his latest creation.
“It had to be fit for purpose, of course, hence the significant ground clearance, limited overhang or the room necessary for significant suspension travel. It also had to meet the standards to be road legal, yet we clearly focused on designing a car that is unique, aggressive and we hope, one day, iconic” Anthony Jannarelly said.
The details of the car’s performance were covered with the GP engineers from Campos Racing who designed it The details of the car performance and engineering designs were discussed at length with Philippe Gautheron and Emilio Lozano, from Campos Racing, as well as Frederic Juillot from JJSpecial in charge of the manufacturing workshop.
“We chose all our parts and partners in order to offer the best racing performance, from engine supplier, tires but also suspensions which are critical for Off-road Performance” remarked Bruno Laffite.
The development strategy is ambitious but realistic Zarooq Motors management has devised a realistic development plan, primarily focused on developing sales in the UAE and the gulf, aiming at drivers who want a high performance sand racing car, which is affordable and easy to maintain; the car can also cater of course to all the car enthusiasts of the region. “We actually have some people interested in importing the car in the gulf but also in Europe” mentioned Mohammed Al Qadi. “We will concentrate on exports and launching new products once our local sales are sustainable”
In parallel, and in order to foster the development of the local championship, Zarooq Motors is initiating a “Dubai Off-Road Racing Track” to host races but also corporate events in a premium and safe environment dedicated to sand racing. “You will be able to see Dubai “ئ بد” in Arabic: as part of the track design” explains Mohammed Al Qadi.
Car to be shown to journalists and to the public in January 2016 Mohammed explained: “Chassis is now finished, the engine and wiring are in place and working, the body molds are being sculpted, and we are just waiting for a few parts to arrive to finalize the assembly, in December”. “If all goes well, we should be able to show the car to the journalists and then to the public very soon. Expect to be able to see it here in the Sofitel the Palm in a few weeks…” said Iannis Mardell. “Of course, we are conducting a series of tests to proof the car and then we will take the road homologation”
As a result, the journalists and first clients should be able to test the car in early 2016.
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