Whether it’s BMW building a bobsled or Tesla trying its hand at tequila, car brands have long been branching out. A much more ambitious example, however, is Toyota’s Woven City, a living laboratory at the foot of Mount Fuji that could welcome its first residents as early as next year.
But it’s not the only city or town founded by a carmaker. In 1928, Fordlandia was settled by American manufacturer Ford, to capitalise on South American rubber for vehicle parts. Though it ultimately failed and was abandoned in 1934, it has us wondering if Toyota’s more thought-out attempt might inspire others – and what that could look like according to AI.
What Elon Musk’s real-world Tesla town could look like in the future
Tesla’s city is an imagined evolution of Snailbrook, a town set up by CEO Elon Musk to bring together all of his ventures – namely Tesla, SpaceX and The Boring Company – near Austin, Texas. Its current population is estimated at less than 20, but this vision fast tracks it to a metropolis of modern architecture and tech.
This version of Snailbrook leans on the smooth shaping of Tesla cars, while the glass ovals either side the road are reminiscent of the panoramic windscreen and roof found on many models.
As a centre for the next stage of EV development, the roads are also capable of wireless charging, with magnetic coils below the asphalt transmitting a current to a coil on the underside of an electric car.
Honouring BMW’s straight-six engines in architecture
This development imagines the tower being joined by a row of six cylindrical buildings – a nod to Beemer’s long-admired straight-six engines. Despite many other carmakers opting for the V6, which is made up of two rows of three cylinders, the straight-six layout features one row of six.
With fewer parts, these engines can be less prone to wear and tear, meaning easier maintenance – a big plus for the performance cars these tend to power, like the B58 straight-six engine found in the BMW M340i.
Also visible in the background are twin buildings inspired by the much debated, full-front grille of the BMW M3 and M4. The city is lit in the colours of the brand’s sports-focused M division.
Dacia’s HQ gains city status, pairing traditional architecture with modern methods
Just off one of the main routes is a large conference centre and music venue, fronted in glass and with a swooping roof that sits on orange pillars inspired by those found on the Mioveni Cathedral. This same tone, which is very similar to the brand’s Arizona paint option, is also found on other buildings.
Dacia’s bold new designs are also reflected in the city’s public art, with the conference centre looking over an installation that’s shaped on the 2024 Dacia Duster’s rear lights.
The life of luxury in Lambo city
Angular skyscrapers - styled in line with Lamborghini’s range - bear LED lighting borrowed from models such as the Revuelto and overlook a wide canal. This is alongside the statue of a large bull, a direct nod to the Italian carmaker’s badge.
The brand’s bold designs and colour palette can be seen in the orange neon lights, with the rumble strip edging marking the road also a salute to their bold and brilliant sportscar heritage.
Speaking of the road, the Lambo Lanzador rear lights design are in their new era as they line the waterway. They are paired with the hexagonal road pattern, a further reference to Lamborghini’s iconic use of hexagons in their designs.
While, unfortunately, the cities are not real. What you can do is browse the latest Vanarama car lease deals if you’re considering an upgrade, or find more automotive news and insight on our blog.
Methodology
To create the cities for the four manufacturers, Vanarama used Midjourney to generate initial images from language prompts.
For each manufacturer, Vanarama created prompts for Midjourney around specific features from cars for each manufacturer. These features included Tesla’s large panoramic windscreens, the BMW tower at the brand’s HQ in Munich and Lamborghini’s iconic bull on their badge.
With these initial images, we then included additional features to the images and expanded upon the prompts to create futuristic and realistic city landscapes.
