Taliban’s viral ‘Mada 9’ supercar enters Doha auto show with a shocking engine choice

Back in January 2023, one supercar called the ‘Mada 9’ went viral, not for its cutting-edge design or high-performance engine but for being built in Taliban-occupied Afghanistan. At the time, it was revealed that Kabul-based car design studio ENTOP, was behind the first supercar from the country. Images and videos of the supercar being unveiled had gone viral on social media at the time. 10 months later, the ‘Mada 9’ has now made its way into the Doha edition of the Geneva International Motor Show and is now called the ’Simurgh’.

While patrons of the Doha auto show did not have encouraging words for the ‘Simurgh’ and its build quality. It is still a big achievement for a homegrown Afghanistan car studio to showcase its self-developed vehicle at a global auto show. Moreover, the Mada 9 or Simurgh holds interesting anecdotes related to its development and the engine department. While the vehicle is a supercar look-alike at best and still in the prototype stage, the most interesting thing about it is the 1.8-litre DOHC 16-valve VVT-i, 4-cylinder petrol engine from Toyota, which has been borrowed from a 2004 generation Corolla sedan. Originally, the Toyota engine was used in multiple car models and had different state of performance tunes ranging between 166 hp to 187 hp. However, the power mill inside the Simurgh has been modified and exact figures are unknown.

Back in January, Afghanistan’s TOLO News had also reported that in its final form, the supercar could go all-electric. That would make sense as the instant torque from an electric motor would give the Simurgh great acceleration. Despite all the guesswork, the car in its current form is only a prototype which does not even have an interior.

What are your thoughts on the ENTOP Simurgh? Let us know in the comments.