DUBAI, UAE, June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
The initial design of the SandRacer was revealed by the new
supercar manufacturer during the Abu
Dhabi F1 GP in December 2015.
Today, Zarooq Motors announces that after thorough testing and
numerous mechanical and design improvements, the first batch of the
luxury supercar car is ready for production. "We are very
excited to see our supercar perform on roads as on sand, following
our initial vision," said Bruno Laffite, one of Zarooq Motors'
founders.
(Photo:
http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/526510/SandRacer_500_GT.jpg
)
Zarooq Motors has an original perspective on supercars: "All
Supercars look fantastic, feature luxurious racing-inspired
interiors and are exclusive high performance machines, but their
common denominator is that they are suited to racetracks and
certainly not designed for speed bumps. Zarooq Motors makes
supercars that are unique since you can take them on a week-end
track day or for a luxurious commute in the city but also on any
off-road terrain, even the toughest dunes of the Arabian Desert
where they were born," says Mohammed Al Qadi, Zarooq Motors' executive.
The SandRacer 500 GT is the first production model of Zarooq
Motors: a 2-seater, rear-wheel drive, mid-engine supercar with a
body penned by a hypercar designer, featuring a luxury
hand-stitched leather interior made by Mansory in
Germany while the body is made in
Belgium, using only carbon
fibre.
"We have applied our design and craftsmanship know-how as
well as luxury materials which we usually use on vehicles like
Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini to give the SandRacer's
interior and body a distinctively superior touch," says
Christian Verstappen from Mansory
Belgium.
The fittings are the ones of top range supercar: digital
dashboard, climate control, CarPlay compatible infotainment, power
windows, bespoke Mansory carbon fibre seats and steering wheel. The
brutal performance (525hp, 660Nm from a tuned 6.2 litre V8 with
only 1200 kg) is as potent on the asphalt as off-road with two
suspension height settings (road and sand), a unique lightweight
racing chassis with a built-in roll cage designed by Campos
Racing Grand Prix engineers.
"Our added value in working with Zarooq Motors is that we
combined what is usually impossible: the quality and performance of
a racing car with the practicality and durability expected from a
road-homologated supercar which can be used as a day-to-day
vehicle," commented Philippe Gautheron, Campos' Chief
Engineer.
The architecture of the car (space frame racing chassis) has
been improved and tested (through a series of virtual crash testing
and through significant testing on circuits and Off-Road by
professional drivers). The drivetrain is now a longitudinal
racing-grade 5-speed sequential gearbox from Weddle industries, to
withstand the most demanding conditions. The maximum suspension
travel has been extended to 45cm thanks to Dakar-grade Intrax dampers.
"The technical choices we have made were driven by
our objectives of providing superior performance on circuits, roads
or any terrain," summarized Laffite.
The company has set up capabilities to maintain the vehicles
both in the GCC and Europe while
Zarooq Motors manufacturing facilities are spread between
Monaco and the UAE. "We want to
be close to our roots in the desert but also close to our customers
and our strategic partners in Europe, that is why we are spreading our
capabilities over two geographies," explains Al
Qadi.
Zarooq Motors has also spent the last 18 months fine-tuning
every detail of the body of the SandRacer 500 GT to make it look
even more aggressive, with a refined front and distinctive rear
diffusers and striking exhausts (one can easily remove the
diffusers if you go for heavy off-road by the way). Compared to the
specifications initially announced, everything has been upgraded
and improved from performance to engine, to style and equipment.
"We listened to our clients who definitely wanted something more
powerful, lighter, with an even more radical design and with a
luxury interior," said Iannis
Mardell, one of the founders.
Sales of the first limited-edition series of 35 supercars have
started aimed at an exclusive clientele with a price tag starting
at $450.000 in the UAE.
"The first clients, both in the GCC and Europe, are mostly VIPs and car collectors,
that's why we also offer bespoke options and
concierge services," said Laetitia Laffite, in charge of
exclusive partnerships.
The first Models which have already been ordered will be
delivered by Q4 this year.
Previous Press quotes:
"Cross between a BMW X6, Range Rover Evoque and a
Dakar racer" - Top
Gear
"The Sandracer is an Off-Road Lamborghini of Arabia" -
Art of Gears
"Supercar built by a Dubai
startup that will disrupt the off-road car market"
- Forbes
"At home in the desert and on Asphalt" -
Ubergizmo
About Zarooq Motors
Zarooq Motors is the first manufacturer of supercars based in
the UAE and Monaco. The company
specializes in exclusive handcrafted supercars with distinct
off-road capabilities.
The founders are Emirati (Mohammed Al
Qadi), French (Bruno Laffite, Belgian (Laetitia Laffite) and
British (Iannis Mardell). The
SandRacer is their first production model, as they have also
already announced the creation of a Sand track in Dubai.
More details: http://www.zarooqmotors.com
About Campos Racing
Campos Racing was founded in 1998 when Adrian Campos having competed successfully for
over 18 years. The objective of this new project was to bring
young talent to the highest level in world motor racing. Campos
competes in various categories (GP2, GP3, WTCC,
Formula E, …). Campos has won the first Formula E driver
Championship in 2015 with Nelson Piquet Junior.
Chief engineer, Philippe Gautheron, has 25 years of
successful motorsport engineering supporting champions (e.g.
Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez, Vitaly
Petrov) to win. He personally supervised the technical
development in support of Zarooq team.
More details: http://www.camposracing.com
About Mansory
Mansory is a luxury car modification firm based in Brand,
Germany founded in 1989 by Kourosh
Mansory. Mansory works on vehicles from a number of manufacturers,
including Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini,
Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Porsche... In November 2007, Mansory acquired the
Porsche-tuning arm of Rinspeed AG. Currently, Mansory employs 180
members of staff worldwide and has a global dealership network:
Germany, Britain, India, China,
Canada, Poland, Russia, United
States, Japan, Greece, Switzerland, Iceland, UAE and a few other countries.
Mansory are renowned for their expertise in carbon fibre design and
construction. Mansory supported the development of the body and
developed interior of the SandRacer 500 GT.
More details: http://www.mansory.com
About Verstappen Design
Belgian arm of Mansory, the company is recognized in the
field of renovation and transformation of luxury vehicles and
closely follows the evolution of new technologies. The many
accomplishments executed for their clients reflect the trust and
satisfaction that they have shown. Following the evolution and
demands of its customers, it then turned to the interior &
exterior design of other vehicles: development of private boats and
aircraft. Part of the team, Eric
Delattre brings significant capabilities in terms of 3D
engineering.
Verstappen Design supported the interior and body design of
the SandRacer 500 GT.
More details: http://www.verstappendesign.com/
Website:
http://www.zarooqmotors.com/
Social Networks
Facebook: http://facebook.com/zarooqmotors
Twitter: http://twitter.com/zarooqmotors
SnapChat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/zarooqmotors
Instagram: http://instagram.com/zarooqmotors
High Resolution Pictures:
Google Drive
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/0B49rd1CWMlR7OTFJbUE5cHhrYWM
Contacts:
Iannis Mardell
contact@zarooqmotors.com
+971-567-713-860