By Ashlee Starratt

If you’ve ever played and loved bumper cars as a kid then, my friend, life has come full circle for you. ILQ recently headed over to Katara one warm afternoon to put the pedal to the metal at the Cultural Village’s latest attraction – Timba Cars!

Brought to Qatar for the first time by Timba Car owner Hamad Al Fayyad, the premise behind them is simple: you and your teammates split into teams of two against two, and drive these fully-functioning little electric cars across the Astroturf pitch trying to smash a giant football into the goal without demolishing one another.

Inspired by video games such as Top Gear, Al Fayyad wanted to bring a new entertainment experience to the GCC, so he modified the concept to ensure that safety was the top priority – so children as young as 13 years-old can drive and operate a Timba Car out on the pitch. Why the name though? Well, in traditional Qatari culture the word ‘timba’ means ‘ball’ – so there you have it!

The Timba Car pitch is located at the end of Katara’s Shakespeare Street, just past the falcon hospital and adjacent to the Kunafa and Shawarma Albisana restaurant. Vsitors wanting to try their hand can purchase a pass for QR 120 for each car that will be used, depending on the number of people playing, and each game lasts for 20 minutes. There’s even a majlis where you can relax, have some refreshments, and try your hand at some PlayStation games while you wait your turn.

Currently the Timba cars have been drawing crowds from across the GCC at Katara for the last two months, and Al Fayyad is hoping to extend the attraction until mid-April. And the best part? Anyone who drops by the Timba Cars and mentions that they heard of them through ILQ will receive a 20% discount on their pass! Now that’s some ajeebness we can get behind!

Want to learn more about the Timba Cars? Follow them on Instagram @timba_car.

Have you been to check out the Timba Cars already? Send us your pictures or video clips and let us know what you thought of the experience in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to give us a like and a share – it keeps us going!

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar

Ashlee

Start a discussion