It is an Afghan Supercar with Le Mans Dreams and a 2004 Corolla Engine. New Entop Simurgh SuperCar
Entop is back again with the Afghan supercar, now rebranded as Simurgh. The company’s CEO, Mohammad Reza Ahmadi, who also acts as designer and chief engineer, introduced the car at the Doha branch of the 2023 Geneva International Motor Show and made some bold claims.
While he did not reveal any information about specifications, power output or performance targets, he did say that the team wanted to race the supercar, previously named Mada9, at Le Mans before selling it to the public.
The startup was in the news earlier this year when it announced the world’s first Afghan supercar, the Mada9, which it called a prototype at the time. Ahmadi stated that the vehicle would be ready in just two weeks, but still did not disclose any specific specifications. Eagle-eyed automotive enthusiasts note that the Mada9 uses the same Toyota 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine found in the 2004 Corolla sedan. However, Entop reportedly said that the engine had been replaced.
Now, nearly 10 months later, Ahmadi has emerged in Qatar’s capital with no mention of the Mada9 and a car that looks the same but now bears the name Simurgh. “I want to build something that will put my country back on the map,” he said in an interview at the Doha fair. “The Simurgh represents the heroes and art of Afghanistan. ”
Don’t see Entop’s presence at the Doha branch of the Geneva Motor Show as adding to its credibility. The hopeful automaker paid for the space and crowdsourced $130,000 in funding to get there, according to Bloomberg. Ahmadi said his team wanted to race at Le Mans before revealing any details about its chassis, features, specifications or production schedule.
It hopes to raise $43.2 million to complete Simurgh’s development and enter it into the historic 24-hour race. “We plan to start sales after the Simurgh passes through Le Mans, where it can be tested and prove itself,” Mr Ahmadi said. While the odds of this happening seem incredibly slim, it would certainly be impressive.
As we mentioned in our first article about Entop, both Mada9 and now the Simurgh benefit from being actual physical creatures. That’s more than can be said for the multitude of companies that create renderings in the hopes of raising funds before producing a single car. Still, the Simurgh has an unfinished interior and questionable build quality, making us wonder if this level has already been peaked.
Source: https://www.carscoops.com/2023/10/entop-simurgh-is-an-afghan-supercar-with-le-mans-dreams-and-a-2004-corolla-engine/
