Zarooq Sand Racer is fast and furious

It's lightweight, hugely powerful and built for launching over the top of sand dunes – and it even has a tenuous connection to the Fast and Furious 7.

Yours from around US $80,000, the Zarooq Sand Racer has a striking exterior design penned by the same bloke – Anthony Jannarelly – behind the Lykan supercar which made an appearance in the box-office smash hit Fast and Furious 7.

Set to make a rock star global premiere at the 2015 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix on November 24, the aggressively-designed vehicle was developed in the UAE and claims to be the kingdom's first locally-made off-road racer.

The Zarooq is powered by a rear-mounted 3.5-litre V6 (likely turbocharged) that has been tuned to pump out up to 367kW or 500hp. It will fetch up to US $160,000 when fully optioned and will kick off a one-make race series in the UAE, along with 'arrive and drive' schemes and off-road racing schools.

Basic models will get a less powerful V6 engine tune, good for around 225kW (300hp) and all models feature heavy-duty suspension with an impressive 350mm of suspension travel. That can be increased to 450mm if airtime and speed is a priority.

Tipping the scales at just 950kg, the UAE's first locally-designed desert racer will have an impressive power-to-weight ratio and it will be hand-built in Dubai as the 'first of a series of elite high performance cars' according to Zarooq Motors.

It's not yet clear whether the company plans to develop road cars or will stick to competition cars.

"There's a huge demand today for a potent sand racer, tailored for our desert," said Mohammed Al Qadi, director of Zarooq Motors.

"You have big 4x4 which are bulky and you have buggies that are open and not the safest or most practical, or you have recreational ATV (all terrain) vehicles that are not initially made for racing," he said.

"We have everything we need in the UAE to build the ultimate high performance desert racing car and make it an international success," stated Al Qadi, who clearly wants to go global with the design.

The chassis of the Zarooq Sand Racer was conceived by Campos Racing GP2, winners of the Formula E world championship, adopting a mid-rear engine placement 'to ease dune crossing'.

Drivers can expect to be surrounded by carbon-fibre and the cabin can be fitted with an array of infotainment upgrades. The company will also craft bespoke upgrades for drivers who want more performance and capability.

The name of the car was inspired by the Schockari Sand Racer, the fastest snake in the desert.