While the idea of a car vending machine might seem rather odd in itself, pause a second to cast your eyes over Ford's particular vending unit - which is shaped like a cat.

The machine has been built in Guangzhou, China, and gives locals the opportunity to test drive a number of vehicles.

Created through a partnership with online retail giant Alibaba, the building has been described as a “Super Test-Drive Centre” where "dozens of Ford vehicles" can be taken for a spin.

According to Tech Crunch, to use the service you need Alibaba’s Tmall shopping app. Users can then appear at the centre and choose the vehicle they want to try out.

Having taken receipt of their chosen car, the user can then take it for up to three days, according to Engadget.

They must pay the "necessary fees", organise a date for collection, and perhaps most importantly, share a selfie through the Tmall app.

To us in the UK, this car dispensing machine service may seem rather trusting. But only model citizens will get to use the service, which harnesses data from China's social credit system - a controversial system that judges a person's social behaviour.

Those with a score of 700 points or above ("very respectable") can use the service without any fees. The default score for someone without a transaction history is 550.

Anyone who wishes to take a car out the vending machine will have to do so before April 23, when the test drive trial will be closed.