Pictured by Sport360 in Dubai where it is being built, the Zarooq is a road-legal production vehicle which will be capable of tackling dunes with the power-to-weight ratio of a supercar and will be the first of a series of elite high performance cars.

The name of the vehicle is inspired by the Schokari Sand Racer, the fastest and most agile snake in the desert which is known as a Zarooq in Arabic.

It was designed in the UAE by Anthony Jannarelly, famous for the Lykan Hypersport, which starred in the film Fast and Furious 7.

The chassis was designed in cooperation with Campos Racing who compete in various race series.

The hand built car, which has a closed cockpit and air conditioning, weighs just 1,100kg and is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 which will have up to 500bhp.

The three founding directors behind the Zarooq all have a strong racing pedigree.

Mohammed Al Qadi is an Emirati who has organised national and international races in the UAE for 15 years. Bruno Laffite, nephew of Jacques Lafitte, is a succesful racing driver and Iannis Mardell has a strong strategy and business consulting background in motorsport.

The plan is to launch a dedicated single-make championship in the UAE for the Zarooq Sand Racer with complete maintenance and support packages. The cars will be raced on a dedicated Dubai off-road circuit where drivers will enjoy the best sand facilities in the world.

Mardell said: “The track will allow UAE residents and companies as well as foreign visitors to try the Zarooq Sand Racer for themselves. There will be arrive-and-drive offers as well as corporate event facilites and we will be launching an off-road racing school.”

The car can be pre-ordered now with first deliveries expected later this year. For more details see www.zarooqmotors.com.

Photos by Chris Whiteoak.