Even though Afghanistan has recently made headlines for its restrictions on women, its people have now come up with something that is putting it on the map for the right reasons: a homegrown supercar called the Mada 9.
The five-year design and development process for the sporty-looking Mada 9 prototype sports car was overseen by 30 engineers from the manufacturer ENTOP and Kabul’s Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI).
The car is mostly always stationary in social media videos that are making the rounds, and ENTOP hasn’t provided any performance information at all, so it’s unclear what it can do on the road.
Given that the Mada 9 team claims their engine is that of a very underwhelming Toyota Corolla, it is unlikely to compete with brands like Bugatti and McLaren.
It features the same engine that Toyota employed in the Corolla Altis 1.8 (2005–2011; E140), which is likewise quite well-liked in Pakistan. The stock 1ZZ-FE is capable of producing up to 171 Newton metres (Nm) of torque and 132 horsepower (hp).
It can produce more than 170 hp thanks to the factory-installed supercharger from Toyota.
A spokesman for the Taliban Zabihullah Mujahid proudly shared pictures of the car on social media and said that the nation as a whole was “honoured” by its construction.
The news of the supercar was well received in Afghanistan, and many quickly shared pictures of it on social media, claiming it was evidence of the country’s prowess in science and technology.
However, many more users brought up the fact that the supercar was introduced as Afghanistan battled one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world and that the Taliban had revoked the rights of the nation’s women to study and work.
