The SandRacer GT500 is a race-ready supercar that’s equally at home on the desert dunes

Let’s face it, as impressive as your average supercar may be, they’re not really designed for handling some of the UAE’s rougher terrain.

Ask anyone who’s tried taking a Ferrari F40 dune-bashing* and they’ll tell you that you very quickly end up with a very expensive heap of metal and sadness.

The limited-edition SandRacer 500GT, on the other hand, is the ultimate desert supercar – built to be equally as comfortable driving off-road as it is cruising down Beach Rd.

Manufactured by Emirati supercar company Zarooq Motors, this 2-seater, rear-wheel drive beast features an all-carbon fiber body with a luxury hand-stiched leather interior. Oh, and a hefty price tag of Dh1.7 million to match. Ouch.

For that princely sum you get a 1,200kg powerhouse that boasts a lightweight racing chassis with a built-in roll cage (that that pesky sand dunes!), all powered by a blistering 6.3 litre V8 engine. Chuck in a host of high-tech features including a digital dashboard, climate control and compatibility with Apple’s CarPlay operating system, and you’ve got yourself an impressive piece of machinery.

Following on from two years of testing since its official reveal at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, the SandRacer 500GT is finally available for order, albeit limited to only 35 cars in its first run.

And to those who can actually afford one, of course.

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*We really hope no one actually has done that to a Ferrari but if so, get in touch, we’d love to hear about it!