diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 259170eb7..7cfacf67b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,10 +69,14 @@ stringData:
 EOF
 ```
 
-To create a cluster, update `clusterConfig` variable and run:
+To create an example cluster:
 
 ```shell
-kubectl apply --server-side -f examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-helm-addon.yaml
+clusterctl generate cluster docker-quick-start-helm-addon-cilium \
+  --from examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-helm-addon.yaml \
+  --kubernetes-version v1.29.1 \
+  --worker-machine-count 1 | \
+  kubectl apply --server-side -f -
 ```
 
 Wait until control plane is ready:
@@ -92,7 +96,7 @@ If you are not on Linux, you will also need to fix the generated kubeconfig's `s
 ```shell
 kubectl config set-cluster docker-quick-start-helm-addon-cilium \
   --kubeconfig docker-kubeconfig \
-  --server=https://$(docker port docker-quick-start-helm-addon-cilium-lb 6443/tcp)
+  --server=https://$(docker container port docker-quick-start-helm-addon-cilium-lb 6443/tcp)
 ```
 
 Wait until all nodes are ready (this indicates that CNI has been deployed successfully):
diff --git a/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-crs.yaml b/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-crs.yaml
index 9dd133b04..3744299cc 100644
--- a/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-crs.yaml
+++ b/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-crs.yaml
@@ -3,20 +3,20 @@ kind: Cluster
 metadata:
   labels:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/provider: aws
-  name: aws-quick-start-crs-calico
+  name: ${CLUSTER_NAME}
 spec:
   clusterNetwork:
     pods:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 192.168.0.0/16
+        - ${POD_CIDR:-192.168.0.0/16}
     serviceDomain: cluster.local
     services:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 10.128.0.0/12
+        - ${SERVICE_CIDR:-10.128.0.0/12}
   topology:
     class: aws-quick-start
     controlPlane:
-      replicas: 1
+      replicas: ${CONTROL_PLANE_MACHINE_COUNT}
     variables:
       - name: clusterConfig
         value:
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ spec:
             nfd: {}
           aws:
             region: us-west-2
-    version: v1.27.5
+    version: ${KUBERNETES_VERSION}
     workers:
       machineDeployments:
         - class: default-worker
           name: md-0
-          replicas: 1
+          replicas: ${WORKER_MACHINE_COUNT}
diff --git a/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-helm-addon.yaml b/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-helm-addon.yaml
index 74c7a7661..5c93f52b5 100644
--- a/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-helm-addon.yaml
+++ b/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-calico-helm-addon.yaml
@@ -3,20 +3,20 @@ kind: Cluster
 metadata:
   labels:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/provider: aws
-  name: aws-quick-start-helm-addon-calico
+  name: ${CLUSTER_NAME}
 spec:
   clusterNetwork:
     pods:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 192.168.0.0/16
+        - ${POD_CIDR:-192.168.0.0/16}
     serviceDomain: cluster.local
     services:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 10.128.0.0/12
+        - ${SERVICE_CIDR:-10.128.0.0/12}
   topology:
     class: aws-quick-start
     controlPlane:
-      replicas: 1
+      replicas: ${CONTROL_PLANE_MACHINE_COUNT}
     variables:
       - name: clusterConfig
         value:
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ spec:
             nfd: {}
           aws:
             region: us-west-2
-    version: v1.27.5
+    version: ${KUBERNETES_VERSION}
     workers:
       machineDeployments:
         - class: default-worker
           name: md-0
-          replicas: 1
+          replicas: ${WORKER_MACHINE_COUNT}
diff --git a/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-identity.yaml b/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-identity.yaml
index 2f2d521a8..55a8bd851 100644
--- a/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-identity.yaml
+++ b/examples/capi-quick-start/aws-cluster-identity.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ kind: AWSClusterStaticIdentity
 metadata:
   labels:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/provider: aws
-  name: aws-quick-start
+  name: ${CLUSTER_NAME}
 spec:
   allowedNamespaces:
     list:
diff --git a/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-crs.yaml b/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-crs.yaml
index afb40e19f..045cae5a9 100644
--- a/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-crs.yaml
+++ b/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-crs.yaml
@@ -3,21 +3,21 @@ kind: Cluster
 metadata:
   labels:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/provider: docker
-  name: docker-quick-start-crs-cilium
+  name: ${CLUSTER_NAME}
 spec:
   clusterNetwork:
     pods:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 192.168.0.0/16
+        - ${POD_CIDR:-192.168.0.0/16}
     serviceDomain: cluster.local
     services:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 10.128.0.0/12
+        - ${SERVICE_CIDR:-10.128.0.0/12}
   topology:
     class: docker-quick-start
     controlPlane:
       metadata: {}
-      replicas: 1
+      replicas: ${CONTROL_PLANE_MACHINE_COUNT}
     variables:
       - name: clusterConfig
         value:
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ spec:
               strategy: ClusterResourceSet
             nfd: {}
           docker: {}
-    version: v1.27.5
+    version: ${KUBERNETES_VERSION}
     workers:
       machineDeployments:
         - class: default-worker
           name: md-0
-          replicas: 1
+          replicas: ${WORKER_MACHINE_COUNT}
diff --git a/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-helm-addon.yaml b/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-helm-addon.yaml
index 124632994..0e9fe26ae 100644
--- a/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-helm-addon.yaml
+++ b/examples/capi-quick-start/docker-cluster-cilium-helm-addon.yaml
@@ -3,21 +3,21 @@ kind: Cluster
 metadata:
   labels:
     cluster.x-k8s.io/provider: docker
-  name: docker-quick-start-helm-addon-cilium
+  name: ${CLUSTER_NAME}
 spec:
   clusterNetwork:
     pods:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 192.168.0.0/16
+        - ${POD_CIDR:-192.168.0.0/16}
     serviceDomain: cluster.local
     services:
       cidrBlocks:
-        - 10.128.0.0/12
+        - ${SERVICE_CIDR:-10.128.0.0/12}
   topology:
     class: docker-quick-start
     controlPlane:
       metadata: {}
-      replicas: 1
+      replicas: ${CONTROL_PLANE_MACHINE_COUNT}
     variables:
       - name: clusterConfig
         value:
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ spec:
               strategy: HelmAddon
             nfd: {}
           docker: {}
-    version: v1.27.5
+    version: ${KUBERNETES_VERSION}
     workers:
       machineDeployments:
         - class: default-worker
           name: md-0
-          replicas: 1
+          replicas: ${WORKER_MACHINE_COUNT}
diff --git a/hack/examples/kustomization.yaml.tmpl b/hack/examples/kustomization.yaml.tmpl
index 1116ac95f..4dcd8acef 100644
--- a/hack/examples/kustomization.yaml.tmpl
+++ b/hack/examples/kustomization.yaml.tmpl
@@ -18,23 +18,17 @@ patches:
   patch: |-
     - op: "add"
       path: "/spec/topology/version"
-      value: "${KUBERNETES_VERSION}"
+      value: "$${KUBERNETES_VERSION}"
     - op: "add"
       path: "/spec/clusterNetwork/pods"
       value:
         cidrBlocks:
-        - "192.168.0.0/16"
+        - "$${POD_CIDR:-192.168.0.0/16}"
     - op: "add"
       path: "/spec/clusterNetwork/services"
       value:
         cidrBlocks:
-        - "10.128.0.0/12"
+        - "$${SERVICE_CIDR:-10.128.0.0/12}"
     - op: "add"
       path: "/spec/clusterNetwork/serviceDomain"
       value: "cluster.local"
-    - op: "add"
-      path: "/spec/topology/controlPlane/replicas"
-      value: 1
-    - op: "add"
-      path: "/spec/topology/workers/machineDeployments/0/replicas"
-      value: 1
diff --git a/hack/examples/sync.sh b/hack/examples/sync.sh
index a62a8fb3e..784aa483e 100755
--- a/hack/examples/sync.sh
+++ b/hack/examples/sync.sh
@@ -68,5 +68,7 @@ kustomize build ./hack/examples |
     ) \
     >/dev/null
 
+sed -i'' "s/^  name: .\+$/  name: \${CLUSTER_NAME}/" "${EXAMPLE_CLUSTERS_DIR}"/*.yaml
+
 # TODO Remove once CAPA templates default to using external cloud provider.
-sed -i'' s/cloud-provider:\ aws/cloud-provider:\ external/g "${EXAMPLE_CLUSTERCLASSES_DIR}/aws-cluster-class.yaml"
+sed -i'' 's/cloud-provider:\ aws/cloud-provider:\ external/g' "${EXAMPLE_CLUSTERCLASSES_DIR}/aws-cluster-class.yaml"