What Is the Mada 9?

Details of the Mada 9 are a bit fuzzy, which is probably how the automaker wants it to be, but this new supercar is something unique.

Whenever the Taliban, Kabul, and Afghanistan are mentioned, we, in the western world, tend to cringe. These names tend to make us think of terrorists and a war-torn country. That said, there’s a new car made in Afghanistan that just might begin to change our thoughts on this country and the rough people that have fought against each other for decades to rule an area covered in desert and mountain regions.

Can Something great come from a war-torn country?

If the saying that “iron sharpens iron” is to be believed, then it makes sense that a high-performance vehicle could come from a country like Afghanistan. The rough and rugged terrain doesn’t seem the fitting place for a low-slung sports car that can’t handle more rough areas than the tarmac of a race track. For the most part, the rugged terrain of Afghanistan is ridden by Toyota pickup trucks, but it just might be time for a change, especially with a time of peace and not war taking place in this country.

The brand of choice in Afghanistan

Most of us can’t remember a time of peace and calm in most countries of the Middle East. Don’t fool yourself into thinking we’re there; just because American troops are no longer active in the area, doesn’t mean it’s a time of peace. Most countries in this region are ruled by a militant government. Regardless of the ruling militia in the country, Toyota pickup trucks and SUVs have been the vehicles of choice to drive around on the rugged terrain. As the Taliban regained control over the country, they went to battle in Toyota vehicles, not expensive military vehicles.

Why does the Taliban love Toyota

Knowing Toyota-branded pickup trucks and SUVs are the choice of the Taliban might make some in the western world want to avoid them. Regardless of how you feel, both sides of every war find ways to obtain the vehicles necessary to engage in conflict. The Taliban has loved Toyota vehicles going back to the 1990s when it captured Kabul and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Most of the time, when Taliban soldiers are seen patrolling streets or regions of the country, it’s in Toyota Hilus pickup trucks.

Where was the Mada 9 developed?

The Taliban continues to express extreme control over nearly everything that happens in Afghanistan. That said, they did allow the first domestically developed supercar to be unveiled to give the world a look at a new car. This car is the Mada 9, and it’s been developed by Kabul-based automaker Entop. This supercar looks amazing. This car has a low-slung build, offers a high-end appeal, and could be something exciting. Of course, a car coming from a dirt-poor, war-torn country doesn’t truly show much promise to the rest of the world; but this model might be something different.

Why discuss the Taliban love for Toyota in a story about the Mada 9?

The longstanding love the Taliban has for Toyota comes to lie in the Mada 9. In a country that’s poor and been through wars that have lasted far too long, finding the right engines and parts can be difficult for automakers. This new supercar is powered by the same engine that’s found in most Toyota Corolla models. It’s a four-cylinder engine, which is small and typically low-powered. This doesn’t exactly make it sound like the Mada 9 is a supercar, but instead, it sounds like a sporty-looking Toyota Corolla.

Maybe enough power was found

The head of the Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute claims that enough power can be found to increase the speed to a level that could make this new car a real supercar. This school helped develop this new car; which is being kept mostly under wraps, at least the power and performance numbers are being kept quiet. Could the head of the school be right, and enough power for a supercar is found in this small Corolla engine? If that were the case, why wouldn’t Toyota have figured out this previously?

Afghan leaders see the movement toward EVs

Although some might think if Afghanistan as being underdeveloped and behind the times, it’s also a place where it’s difficult to get ahead. The new leadership in this country sees the transition to electric vehicles as much as any of us in richer countries. Because of this movement, the Mada 9 will also be offered in an electric version soon. Both versions of this new car will be sold in Afghanistan before it’s taken to other countries to compete with some of the top supercars in the world. Could this new car be a serious contender?

Speculation about this new car

We don’t know how much power this new car will offer or how fast it will rocket to highway speeds. In fact, as far as we know, this could be nothing more than a ploy by the Taliban to gain some global attention in a much more positive manner than their reputation allows.

What we do know is that the Mada 9 has been shown in Instagram posts by the company and that it just might be the first entry into the supercar world from Afghanistan. Even if this car is a huge flop, it offers a starting point for Entop to being to build better cars and find ways to create more power.

Will the Taliban allow this car to be taken to other countries? Will Toyota supply the engines for these supercars? Could Toyota enter a partnership with Entop to build the Mada 9 and future supercars? Regardless of the thoughts and reputation that come to mind when you think of the Taliban and Afghanistan, this new car might have some qualities that make it unique, interesting, and special in other countries, but we don’t have that information yet.