Mada 9: A look at Afghanistan’s first ever supercar

The first supercar ever made in Afghanistan, known as the Mada 9, was recently unveiled by the Taliban-led government.

Unveiling a supercar prototype probably didn’t top your list of things you expected from the Taliban, but here we are. The Mada 9 definitely has the appearance of a supercar, but it is currently propelled by a modified 2000 Toyota Corolla engine that was reportedly developed over a period of 5 years by a team of at least 30 engineers from a company called ENTOP and Kabul’s Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI). Although it appears to be capable of traveling at “greater speeds,” the ultimate goal is to give it an electrical engine that is more potent.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s official spokesperson, shared a video on Twitter of the Mada 9 doing donuts in the snow, and photos of the supercar have been doing the rounds on social media, but no technical specifications have been made available at this time. We don’t even know if it is a front, rear, or mid-engine car, and there are also no photos of the interior.

 

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Mohammad Riza Ahmadi, the CEO of ENTOP and designer of the Mada 9, told Afghan news channel TOLO News that he hoped Afghanistan’s first supercar would be an international beacon for the war-torn country.

“This car will be an ambassador and will drive across Afghanistan and convey the value of knowledge to the people,” Ahmadi said. “It will start its journey in Afghanistan and will one day maybe go international.”

Ahmadi added that his company has already received inquiries from people looking to buy the Mada 9, but the vehicle is not currently for sale. Which makes sense, considering it’s probably not a finished product yet…