The Taliban have unveiled the very first supercar designed and manufactured in Afghanistan.
The aggressive and sleek-looking Mada 9 prototype sports car is the result of five years of design and development led by 30 engineers from manufacturer ENTOP and the Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI) in Kabul.
Its on-road capabilities remain to be seen – the vehicle is immobile in almost all footage circulating on social media and ENTOP has not released any performance data.
It’s unlikely to rival Bugatti and McLaren, as the team behind Mada 9 claim its engine is that of a comparatively pedestrian-friendly Toyota Corolla hatchback.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid proudly posted pictures of the car on social media and said its construction was a “honor” for the whole country.
An image of the prototype posted by manufacturer ENTOP on social media showed off the car’s sleek and aggressive design
At its unveiling in late December, the car set out for a short test drive, surrounded by engineers and eager onlookers
Taliban Higher Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani (pictured) delivered an impassioned speech at the unveiling of the car at ENTOP headquarters, saying the regime is determined to provide “religious and modern sciences to its people”.
“I would like to thank the Ministry of Vocational Education, under whose umbrella the country has rendered valuable services,” he wrote on Twitter.
One clip showed the coupe gliding smoothly down a snowy road with a pleasantly throaty rumble from the exhaust, much to the delight of eager onlookers, suggesting the Mada 9 is at least a step ahead of most other prototypes.
The head of ATVI, Ghulam Haidar Shahamat, told TOLO News from Afghanistan that the Toyota Corolla engine was modified so that “if you increase the speed, it’s powerful enough to take it”, but claimed that ENTOP intends to to incorporate an electric powertrain into the engine of Mada 9 at a later date.
Taliban Minister of Higher Education Abdul Baqi Haqqani delivered an impassioned speech at the unveiling of the car at ENTOP headquarters, praising Afghanistan’s scientific values and claiming the car was a testament to the regime’s commitment to “religious and modern sciences for his people”.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Riza Ahmadi, CEO of ENTOP, told TOLO News he hopes the supercar will “instill in people the value of knowledge” and help boost Afghanistan’s image on the world stage.
“It will start its journey in Afghanistan and maybe one day go international,” he told reporters from TOLO News.
A tweet posted by Ahmadi on New Year’s Eve read: “I thank God so much that I was able to finish building Afghanistan’s first car.
‘I want to thank the great national businessmen and the lovely people of Afghanistan who stood by me during this time.’
Mohammad Riza Ahmadi, CEO of ENTOP (pictured), told TOLO News he hopes the supercar will “instill in people the value of knowledge” and help improve Afghanistan’s image on the world stage.
At a recent unveiling, many eager onlookers surrounded the car and fondled the body in admiration
The Mada 9 prototype is pictured here during its construction and development
TOLO News reported that the prototype will be ready soon and claimed that “efforts are underway to exhibit the car at international shows.”
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, railed against the Taliban’s decision to ban women from higher education and most job opportunities
News of the supercar was met with much praise in Afghanistan, and social media users eagerly shared pictures of the vehicle, claiming it was a testament to the country’s scientific and technological prowess.
But many more users pointed out that the supercar was unveiled as Afghanistan battles one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, while the Taliban have stripped the country’s women of the right to study and work.
The Taliban had “promised through their representatives that there would be no ban on women being educated or working,” said Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the independent Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
“Obviously we were misled by the Taliban government. They are clearly making it impossible for us to work now,” he said Monday.
The NRC has nearly 500 women employees working in remote areas of Afghanistan in areas such as food security, education, legal aid, water and sanitation.
Women are vital to relief efforts on the ground in Afghanistan, particularly in identifying other women in need, but are no longer able to fulfill their role.
A Taliban fighter is seen at the Taliban flag ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan March 31, 2022
This photo provided by the Taliban Higher Education Ministry shows UN officials at a meeting with Taliban higher education ministers in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, January 7, 2023
International aid agencies say many of Afghanistan’s 38 million people are starving and three million children are at risk of malnutrition.
Hardline Islamists seized power in August 2021, promising a softer version of their brutal 1996-2001 rule notorious for human rights abuses.
But they have rapidly pushed women out of almost every sphere of public life in recent months, barring them from secondary and higher education, working in the public sector and visiting parks and baths.
Egeland said several senior Taliban officials opposed the decrees and acknowledged that many had sent their daughters to NGO-run schools before the war ended.
“I hear there is a heated debate going on within the Taliban… There is an internal struggle and the wrong group seems to have the upper hand now,” he said.
Government officials claim the ban was imposed because women failed to comply with Taliban rules about wearing the headscarf, a claim disputed by aid workers.
The Taliban government has yet to be officially recognized by any country and only a handful of nations have a presence in Afghanistan.
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