When it comes to a hard sell, car salesmen are known for getting about as rigid as they possibly can. Too bad they can’t show you just what that car you’re checking out looks like parked in front of your house. Until now… Auto-maker Porsche has launched its own augmented reality app which does just that. And a few more things, like seeing that same car in a dinky size on your desk. If you want to, that is.
The app, called the Porsche Augmented Reality Visualizer App, allows users to download several Porsche models and then preview them in a real world setting. At present, variants of the Porsche 911 (the Carrera S, Carrera 4S, and Cabriolet versions of both), Cayenne (the Coupé and Turbo Coupé), and the Mission E are available for virtual ogling. Each model has to be downloaded separately before it can be used but the results are… impressive.
More than one way to scan a car
Downloads aren’t the only option, however. The app allows for an actual Porsche to be scanned and then changed onscreen, so you can preview colour options. There’s also space to input a code for a set configuration or scan a QR code or a special Porsche AR Visualizer image. We assume that last one’s going to see use in advertising and posters. Combine it with Google Glass and suddenly we’re living in the future. Right?
As for what you can do with the app… a surprising amount. Mostly what you’re supposed to be doing is placing a German vehicle in your driveway or parking space and sighing wistfully while you figure out how to finance a real-world version. It’s also possible to drop a full-sized EV on the third floor of an office building if you feel so inclined (as in the image above). You can also scale down the virtual vehicle so it fits on your desk. Colour options (limited to those that are actually available) can be previewed. Then there are the more functional aspects of the app.
Cut my ride into pieces, this is my last report
Users can choose to peer at the internals if they so wish, getting a sense of what a chosen vehicle’s interior geometry looks like. Want to check out the drivetrain or some of the highlights — like a drop-top in action? Sure, why not. Rims can be selected and previewed and you can even drive it around its little virtual environment, while you follow its progress like a cameraman trying to focus on Clarkson. There’s also a place for users to snap photos, for those who haven’t figured out smartphone screenshots.
More vehicles will be added over time, with the company wanting their entire roster in augmented reality by year-end. Saying ‘nein’ to this lot just became a whole lot harder. We’re going to just let our bank balances do the talking, eventually.
If you’d like to snap a few shots of a Porsche in your driveway (totally not for your social media pages, right?), you can grab the app for Android and iOS. Porsche says the app works with “…all Augmented Reality-enabled iOS and Android end devices”.
