François Mercier, also known as Mr. François, has created a fascinating collection of AI-generated car designs in his book, ‘Secret Cars: 300 Promptographs.’ The Brussels-based film director and photographer used over 300 prompts to bring to life a series of imaginative ‘secret’ car models. These fictional vehicles are remarkably realistic, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
Each image in the book is a visual answer to one of Mr. François’ inventive questions. What if Ferrari designed a camper van? Or, what would a Lamborghini school bus look like? Another prompt explored a luxurious six-seater Mini limousine. The resulting collection is a diverse array of creative car designs, shown in realistic settings.
Mr. François’s central concept asks: What if the world’s leading car manufacturers secretly began producing completely unexpected models? Driven by this question, he embarked on a creative project using artificial intelligence. In ‘Secret Cars: 300 Promptographs’, he playfully dubs himself a ‘promptographer.’ This involved learning to generate images from short, descriptive prompts that envisioned these unique vehicles. While not traditional photographs of reality, the output cars are so lifelike that they imply they could or even should exist.
The book is described as the perfect gift for any car enthusiast, whether they dream of a Porsche 911 station wagon or a BMW 2002 truck edition. It also appeals to those interested in car design, pop culture, and the potential of AI-generated art.
