Kanye West’s electric car is selling for $1.2M, but there’s a catch

Kanye West’s new electric vehicle is going viral on social media platforms like TikTok and X, but there’s a catch: West and his brand, Yeezy, had nothing to do with the car's creation.

In a viral video posted to X, the text on the screen reads, “Kanye previews his new Yeezy Cybertruck going for $1.2 million, only three made in the US.”

The post shows a strange-looking vehicle moving at a snail's pace with the sign Peterson Automotive Museum in the background. The vehicle is all black, and its odd shape makes it unclear where the passengers enter and exit.

The caption on the post reads, “Kanye West – Yeezy Cybertruck, Fire or Trash?”

Although many people were convinced that the rapper had ventured into the automotive industry, the “car” is actually a conceptual vehicle designed by United Nude, a footwear brand.

The car, known as the Lo-Res Car, was developed by the creative director and founder of the company, Rem D. Koolhaas, and was sold for over $100,000 at the Bring a Trailer auction in 2021.

This vehicle was supposedly inspired by the Lamborghini Countach, and only four models were made, all for promotional purposes.

“The Lo Res Car shape came from lowering the 3D resolution of the iconic Lamborghini Countach, a Marcello Gandini (at Bertone) design from the early 1970s,” United Nude said.

The vehicle's name comes from the Lo Res Project, one of the brand's signature concepts.

“The Lo Res design method is based on the principle of re-designing the same object in a series, each time lowering the 3D resolution, resulting in a more fragmented and abstract design each step of the way.” Hence, the weird shape.

The Lo Res Car can only drive 50 kilometers per hour, and the car is not street legal, as this would have “compromised its experimental and radical design,” United Nude said.

Although the car was created in 2016, it has experienced an uptick in popularity due to speculation surrounding an unusual collaboration between Tesla and Yeezy.

Users flocked to social media platforms to comment on the unusual car until X dispelled rumors that West had actually created the Lo Res Car.

The post on X includes context to avoid the spread of misinformation. It states that “This vehicle is not a Tesla Cybertruck, and it also isn’t affiliated with Kanye West or his company Yeezy.”

Many comments left under the post highlight its odd design, with some even saying that the car “looks like a glass coffin.”