The past 18 months has seen a flurry of skyscrapers unveiled by luxury car makers including Bentley, Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin. Nat Barker reports on the growing phenomenon of car-branded architecture.

"Fans of the brand should not just be able to drive a Porsche, they should be able to live in one," said Porsche Lifestyle Group CEO Stefan Buescher of the brand's decision to move into real estate.

While real estate is clearly lucrative, the car companies have other motivations for building the residences, which are clearly branded.

Pull up outside Aston Martin Residences – a 66-storey skyscraper in Miami completed this month – and you will be greeted by the marque's famous winged logo.

Aston Martin Residences was recently completed in Miami. Photo courtesy of Aston Martin. Top image by We Are Visuals

"Entering the real estate sector is a showcase of design mastery, tapping into a profound understanding of our customer lifestyle and personal preferences," Bentley Motors director of product and marketing Steven De Ploey told Dezeen, echoing the sentiments of its peers.

The key word here is "lifestyle". Luxury automotive brands make no secret of the fact that they increasingly want to be much more to their customers than mere vehicle manufacturers.

"It's about creating a 360-degree brand experience," added Porsche's Buescher.

Porsche kicked off the trend with Porsche Design Tower Miami, completed in 2017. Photo courtesy of Porsche

Porsche can make a strong claim to have started the trend, unveiling plans for the 198-metre-tall Porsche Design Tower – complete with car elevators – in 2013 and completing the Miami project in 2017. A second project has just completed in Stuttgart.

Part of its motivation was a realisation that demand for "luxury" design is becoming more about status than a desire for top-quality products.

"Modern luxury is defined less by the product itself, the brand name or the price, but by the overall product and brand experience," Buescher said.

"The Porsche Design Tower Miami is therefore not only a symbol of architectural excellence, but also a testimony to our commitment to offering our customers ultra-exclusive experiences."

Luxury brands of all kinds are diversifying, but this idea of being the defining aspect of the consumer's life carries particular weight among car makers, according to industry expert Andrew Graves.

"Customer retention is really important to this industry," he told Dezeen.

"They try to make a 'Bentley-ness' about the lifestyle so you don't decide to buy a Bugatti instead. And if you have your apartment in Miami, you'll stay with them for life."