The Taliban has unveiled a supercar it has been working on for the past five years, but it's unlikely to pose much of a threat to the established supercar companies.
Named the Mada 9, the vehicle is a prototype supercar which was made by a team of 30 engineers from the Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI).
While the bodywork looks sleek, beneath the surface is an engine from a Toyota Corolla that would probably struggle badly in terms of performance against established supercars.
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ATVI chief Ghulam Haidar Shahamat claimed the engineers had modified the engine to make it 'powerful enough' for the driver to go faster than you'd expect from a hatchback engine.
There are also plans to add an electric powertrain into the vehicle at some point in the future, with the supercar still very much a prototype despite the years of development spent working on it.
A spokesperson for the Taliban said the car's development was an honour for Afghanistan and spoke about the prototype as an example of the scientific development the country was capable of.
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Other officials said they hoped the development of the supercar would help boost Afghanistan's international image, which is not very positive following the Taliban's takeover of the country.
Many people from Afghanistan attempted to flee the country as the Taliban returned to power and others who remained were extremely fearful of what the returning regime would do.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the scheduled withdrawal of western forces and the collapse of the civilian government the Taliban has cracked down on human rights in the country.
Afghan women have particularly borne the brunt of these repressive rulings, with a series of bans preventing women and girls from going to school, travelling without a male relative or entering public places like parks.
It has also released a series of bans on products it claims are 'misleading the younger generation', with TikTok and certain video games on the list of things no longer allowed in Afghanistan.
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Despite early attempts from the Taliban to claim it would lead a 'more modern' government which would allow women to contribute to society what has happened since it retook power has proven those words to be hollow.
While a spokesperson for the Taliban claimed they 'want the world to trust us', actions speak far louder than words and the release of a supercar shell with a Toyota engine will do little to improve Afghanistan's international image.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@Zabehulah_M33Topics: World News, Cars, News