Designing Alfa Romeo with AI

My name is Attila Nagy, and I am a graphic designer. Over the past 30 years, I’ve drawn comic books, illustrated novels, worked in advertising studios, painted faux-frescoes on nightclub walls, and created fairy-tale murals for children's rooms. My career has been built on a foundation of vector graphics and pencil drawings.

Living in Italy, it’s only natural that Italian cars make my heart beat faster. In this video, I’ll show you the Alfa Romeo concepts I’ve designed using AI, and while you look at these images, I’ll share my experiences with you.

It is very important to note: I am not going to name the software I use.

YouTube influencers are always representing a specific program, telling you it’s "the best," that everyone should use it, and that you’ll find an affiliate link in the description to buy it. These influencers are lying. They claim a program is the best simply because they receive a commission from every purchase made through their link.

I am a graphic designer—a real one—not a money-hungry influencer.

There is no such thing as a "single best program" that I would recommend to everyone. That would be like asking me what kind of brush or pencil I use for my artwork, and then you going out to buy the same one. Do you really think that if you use the same brush I do—and I get a commission for it—you will automatically draw or paint as well as I do? Or if you buy the same hammer and chisel as a master sculptor, will you automatically carve beautiful statues? I don’t think so. So why do they want you to believe that using a specific paid program will automatically make you as creative as the person advertising it?

When I started experimenting with AI in fine arts, I tested at least 50 different programs. Even the paid ones usually offer a free trial, and for the free ones, a simple registration is enough. After weeks of searching, I found the programs that work for me. Among them, only one is a paid subscription, and it isn't one of the famous, expensive ones everyone recommends for a commission.

Every graphic, image, and video generation program is unique.

Each has its own style. There is no such thing as a program that fits every purpose. Returning to car design: I tried designing a car with one of the most famous AI programs, and the result was surprisingly boring. It was very precise and realistic; it could repeat the same image multiple times, but it lacked creativity. I experienced the same with another famous program: the images it generated were dull and lacked imagination.

This brings us to the next problem: What is "boring" or "unimaginative"?

This is a matter of taste, and everyone’s taste is different. That’s why I can’t tell you that the program I’m satisfied with will be right for you. The solution? Personal experience. You have to test every known and unknown program yourself, whether they are expensive or free. No one can tell you which AI is the ideal one to generate the specific image you have in your head.

The next important question is: What is your goal?

Do you want to be popular on Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, or Instagram? Many people strive for this, so their goal is to satisfy the masses. The design just needs to be attention-grabbing, shocking, or even scandalous and low-quality—as long as people like and share it. Every program in the world is suitable for that; you won't have to look far.

But there is another path. A path where your goal is to create something unique and eye-catching—not because it’s shocking or scandalous, but because it is beautiful and sophisticated. You’ll be surprised by the result: beautiful, high-quality work will eventually enjoy much greater popularity than the scandalous and the cheap.

When I started designing these Alfa Romeos, I began with a well-known model: the Giulia. A four-door sedan, a true sports machine. I decided to design a Cabrio version. In my instructions, I specified the exact model, requested a two-door convertible, defined the wheel size, the camera angle, the car's color, and the environment it was moving in.

Alfa Romeo dream car designed with artificial intelligence. Graphic designer Attila Nagy

Later, I became bolder. I didn’t stick to a specific model, but I asked the AI to design an Alfa Romeo Pickup with massive off-road tires, spotlights, and all necessary accessories, defining the color and the design language myself.

Alfa Romeo dream car designed with artificial intelligence. Graphic designer Attila Nagy

Then, I asked the AI to design the Alfa Romeo Super Sport car of the future—a car from the year 2050. I let the program work more freely here, but I still defined the color, the wheel size, and the specific rim type.

Alfa Romeo dream car designed with artificial intelligence. Graphic designer Attila Nagy

But since I had traveled to the future, I decided to travel back to the past as well. I asked the AI to design an Oldtimer Alfa Romeo. I requested a two-door cabriolet and defined the style only broadly, leaving the fine details to the AI's "imagination."

Alfa Romeo dream car designed with artificial intelligence. Graphic designer Attila Nagy

A well-phrased prompt is vital. The prompt must adapt to the specific program you are using. Here again, you can only rely on your personal experience. Any program can easily fulfill a cliché, boring prompt. So, experiment. Search for the limits of the program. Ask for the impossible. You will see where the program gets stuck—and that is where you should focus. Know the limits of your software and push them to get the absolute maximum out of it. This is the only way to be unique and sophisticated.

It is crucial to pay attention to function when designing a car. If the resulting car doesn't look functional at first glance, you’ve designed it poorly. If it’s so disproportionate that it couldn't be driven in reality, you’ve designed it poorly. AI will fulfill any request, but it is just a program. It doesn’t think, it doesn’t understand the task, and it has no sense of beauty. It treats human words as mathematical problems and calculates a logical answer. If the request is flawed, the answer will be flawed. If the task is superficial, average, and boring, the result will be superficial, average, and boring.

If you simply ask an AI to "design an Alfa Romeo," it will do just that. If you specify the model and the modifications, the result will be more detailed. But, if you ask the program to create a professional studio shot of a futuristic Alfa Romeo Super Sport car, specifying the camera type, the lens settings, the studio lighting, and the photographic style... then you will hold a true masterpiece in your hands.

I am now going to show you three precisely crafted studio prompts I used for this project.

Let’s start with the most dramatic angle in automotive photography: the "Hero Shot."

In this setup, we place the virtual camera right on the ground and use a wide-angle 24mm lens. This "worm’s-eye view" makes the car look massive and powerful. We are using large overhead lights to emphasize the "muscles" of the bodywork.

Here is the command for this setup:

A futuristic concept hypercar, the Alfa Romeo Visione 33. Mid-engine, two-door sculpted body. A vibrant, deep Rosso Competizione liquid metal color. Studio photography, ultra-modern clean white cyclorama background with a highly reflective dark floor. Dramatic low-angle shot using a 24mm wide-angle lens on a Phase One XF IQ4 camera at f/8. Massive overhead softbox lighting creates long, sleek highlights running across the bodywork. The iconic triangular Scudetto grille is reimagined with integrated LED light signatures. Aggressive stance, huge futuristic wheels. The focus is razor-sharp from front to back. Automotive fine art."

Alfa Romeo dream car designed with artificial intelligence. Graphic designer Attila Nagy

Our second setting is all about celebrating elegance and pure design.

For this one, we raise the camera high and switch to a tighter 80mm portrait lens. This bird's-eye view perfectly showcases the "wasp-waist" shape and the mid-engine layout, where the engine block is visible through the rear glass. It is a clean, graphic composition.

The prompt is as follows:

A high-angle, top-down studio photograph of a futuristic Alfa Romeo mid-engine supercar concept. The car is painted in a pearlescent Montreal Green. The composition emphasizes the hourglass shape and aerodynamic channels. We can see the futuristic engine bay under a sculpted glass cover behind the cockpit. Lighting is soft, diffused, and luxurious. Shot on Hasselblad H6D-100c with an 80mm lens at f/11. The floor is a matte concrete texture. The image is symmetrical, balanced, and focused on pure design elegance. Color photography, highly detailed."

Alfa Romeo dream car designed with artificial intelligence. Graphic designer Attila Nagy

Finally, we arrive at the most honest view for a designer: the clean side profile.

Unlike the previous experiments, we have stepped back with the camera so the entire length of the car—from nose to tail—is visible as one unified form.

The most important rule here was strictly forbidding the AI from placing any logos, badges, or text. Only the pure, sculpted form matters, highlighted by a single, continuous strip of light.

Here is the refined command:

"A sleek, full side profile studio photograph of a futuristic Alfa Romeo supercar concept. Medium distance shot, displaying the entire unified form from front to rear wheels. The focus is solely on the cohesive design language and the aerodynamic flow of the mid-engine architecture. Clean bodywork with ABSOLUTELY NO logos, badges, emblems, or text. Deep, liquid Rosso Competizione red paint with a flawless mirror finish. Professional automotive studio lighting where a very long, continuous overhead softbox creates a single, unbroken horizon line of light across the car. Shot on Phase One IQ4 150MP, 85mm lens at f/11. The entire car is in sharp focus. Automotive fine art quality."

Do you see the difference? The key isn't magic—it is technical mastery. It’s the understanding of lenses, lighting, and composition. Use these prompts as a foundation and start creating your own stunning vehicles.

I hope I could help you start your own unique, personalized design journey, to find your own style, the ideal program for your needs, and to create high-quality work. If you liked this video, please subscribe, share it with your friends, and I will see you soon with another graphic design topic using Artificial Intelligence.

Alfa Romeo dream car designed with artificial intelligence. Graphic designer Attila Nagy

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse