By Theodore Opara

LARAKI Sahara hypercar does not ring bell in the automobile world, but there is something special about it. It is a supercar built in Morocco and bought by the King of Morocco, King Mohammed VI as a demonstration of patriotism. This car compares with the likes of Lamboghini, Bugatti, Koenigsegg Agera and leading hypercars but is not built in volume. Only four units has so far been produced and the King has collected two units as a demonstration of patriotism and encouragement to develop the production.

Casablanca, the land of whitewashed buildings, the inspiration behind a Hollywood classic and the headquarters to an unlikely hypercar brand that also builds yachts.

Established in 1999, Laraki has only produced four models in very, very limited numbers since then. Naturally, the King of Morocco supports his country’s homegrown hypercar manufacturer, buying the only two units of the Laraki Sahara hypercar in existence.

Each is reported to cost over $2.2 million, making it the most expensive African car in the world. Laraki also has the distinction of making the most expensive car in the world; at least at one point in time. When the company introduced its third model, the $2 million Laraki Epitome, in 2013, it was even more expensive than the flagship Bugatti Veyron.

The Epitome was also more powerful, making 1,200 horsepower compared to the Veyron’s 1,183 horsepower. The Moroccan hypercar took things a step further. Its twin-turbocharged V8 from a C6 Chevrolet Corvette could push 1,750 horsepower when fed 110-octane fuel. It made enough waves that part Moroccan hip-hop star, French Montana put his money down for one of the nine units of the Epitome produced.

As the story goes, the Epitome was further refined and updated, including switching over to the new C7 Corvette as a base, with more swoopy styling which brings us to the Laraki Sahara. The Sahara was built as proof of concept of Laraki’s engineering prowess, impressing the King of Morocco so much that he bought the only two cars ever made.

The Sahara’s numbers are equally impressive as the Epitome’s, making 1,550 horsepower from its 7.0-liter turbocharged V8 tuned by Dallara. Top speed is a theoretical 248mph, mainly because the car’s rarity and current ownership mean it’ll probably never be pushed that far to find out for real.

A hypercar fit for a king
The King of Morocco is a car enthusiast, ironically having taken to the throne in 1999, the same year Laraki was born. With an estimated net worth between $2-5 billion, King Mohammed VI has been named the richest king in Africa and the fifth wealthiest monarch in the world.