Those who don’t follow Porsche very closely might be interested to know that it is largely owned by VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group). This can be a bone of contention among enthusiasts and it has led to some very interesting design choices in the past, the 944 anyone?
Here we’re going to discuss how virtual reality is changing the way the Porsche Taycan is being sold.
Background
Porsche actually created Volkswagen as it was Dr. Ferdinand Porsche who collaborated with Adolf Hitler on the original design of the people’s car. Post war, much of the 356 was built using VW parts.
We feel that allowing Porsche to have access to the full resources of VAG is actually very beneficial to the brand as it allows the Thoroughbred access to the pinnacle of automotive research and tech, which is what we expect from a Porsche. When it comes to showcasing their latest jewel, the Taycan, Porsche have stepped outside of the conventional boundaries both in their design, but also in how they are presenting the vehicle to their customers.
The Virtual Experience
Most of us are already familiar with the online ‘car configurator’ that is available from most premium brands (Rolls-Royce included) and Porsche’s incarnation of this already does a good job of showing off what the Taycan has to offer. Now they have taken it one step further and introduced VR. Before you ask, VR isn’t just the kind of thing you see in Avatar anymore or that gimmick that your teenager really wanted to get with their latest flagship cellphone. In the technical fields it is fast becoming a very useful tool to perform everything from home design to open heart surgery. Porsche have put it to work to demo cars. Instead of the usual showroom experience, you head down to your local Porsche dealer where you are given a pair of VR goggles…
…becoming transported to Porsche’s virtual Taycan showroom. This innovative approach to demonstrating their new creation allows for a flexibility that was unavailable in the showroom as we know it. You can view your Taycan in the color of your choice and see if it really is what you were hoping for. You can walk around it , experience the interior and even get underneath! You can even control the flow of air over the Taycan and see how Porsche’s slippery drag coefficient of 0.22 does its job.
Available in English and German so far, Porche are fast rolling out additional features and languages for the other territories they are planning to sell their battery-electric super-car.
The Horizon
Coming back from the future we realize that this is only the beginning of this technology. Later incarnations may even allow us to take the Taycan on a virtual test drive or experience the interior more closely (we’re hoping the rumor that Porsche are working on an VR Taycan configurator system is true). We’ve come to expect the unexpected from Porsche yet are still surprised at just how far they can move the boundaries.
Innovative ideas like carbon offset schemes, smart charging, home integration and clever power optimization are just a few. The main Porsche Pavilion at their Autostadt in Germany has long given subtle hints about where they are intending to go with the seamless incorporation of the latest technology into the automotive sphere. It is well worth an online visit (particularly useful in today’s austere circumstances), if only to scratch the surface of what is still to come.