Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba is to open its own car "vending machine" next year in a bid to make buying a car “as easy as buying a can of Coke”.

The launch follows used car seller Autobahn Motors' opening of its futuristic 15-storey showroom in Singapore last year, which was billed as the "world's largest luxury car vending machine".

Autobahn's vending machine displays vehicles in 60 slots, with customers on the ground floor able to choose from a touchscreen display the car they wish to see.

The car arrives within two minutes thanks to an advanced system that manages vehicle retrieval.