The Digital Car Revolution Starts Here, And It’s Fully Immersive

Many gamers know this routine by heart: you load your favourite racing game, scroll through a garage of shiny cars, spin them around in 3D, pick your colour, and buy one to race. Kids do it instinctively. Parents, on the other hand, know the real-life version all too well: endless research tabs open on your browser, a few calls to dealerships, maybe an entire Saturday spent hopping from showroom to showroom to see what’s actually available.

But what if you could do what the kids do? Log in, walk through a virtual dealership, explore every detail in 3D, chat to an assistant, and buy a real car, all without leaving your home?

Lazarus Motor Company is turning that ‘what if’ into reality.

In a bold move to revolutionise the way South Africans buy cars, Lazarus Motor Company has opened the first fully immersive virtual car dealership in the UBU metaverse, a visionary AI-powered platform reshaping the vehicle purchase journey for the digital age.

The Lazarus Metaverse is a cutting-edge virtual dealership that blends 3D exploration with real-world functionality. Users can browse, customise, and buy vehicles from anywhere in the world. Unlike traditional websites or mobile apps, this platform lets users walk through a beautifully rendered showroom, inspect high-fidelity vehicle models, switch between colours, compare trims and features, and interact with digital content displays — all in a space that feels just as tangible as a physical dealership.

What truly sets the experience apart is Laz, the AI sales assistant built into the environment. Laz can answer questions, guide customers through vehicle features, and help them book virtual consultations with human Finance & Insurance specialists from Lazarus without any delay. Whether on desktop, mobile, or via a VR headset, every customer is welcomed and assisted in a way that feels seamless, intuitive, and delightfully futuristic.

“This is the car showroom of the future,” said Ross Lazarus, Executive Director at Lazarus Motor Company. “We’ve built a digital dealership that is open 24/7, user-friendly, and human-centred. It’s a space where curiosity meets convenience, and where the car you explore today can be delivered to your door tomorrow.”

Once a user settles on a vehicle, the full KYC process happens entirely within the platform. Customers can verify their identity, upload documents, and initiate a secure purchase via finance, EFT, or UBU cryptocurrency.

Upon completing the purchase, users receive a Lazarus DriveKey NFT; a blockchain-based token that acts as proof of ownership and a claim certificate for the physical vehicle. Customers may then choose to collect their car at any Lazarus dealership or have it delivered anywhere in South Africa. This use of blockchain marks a first-of-its-kind automotive use case in the region, enhancing security, transparency, and buyer confidence.

“We’re not just innovating for the sake of technology,” Lazarus added. “We’re building systems that put control back in the hands of the buyer, blending immersive experience, digital identity, and real-world convenience.”

“At UBU, we believe the future of interaction and purchasing is immersive. Together with Lazarus, we’re reshaping how people discover, connect, and transact with their motor vehicles, one experience at a time,” said Mic Mann, CEO of UBU.

The Lazarus Metaverse aims to solve long-standing pain points in the traditional car-buying journey. Users can browse the full catalogue without travel, compare models and pricing instantly, and configure cars in a visually rich 3D world. The entire purchase process; from exploration to KYC to payment, is fully digital. Buyers also gain access to a DriveKey NFT that unlocks added perks, loyalty benefits, and a digital identity layer.

The Lazarus Metaverse is now live and ready to explore.