You know how it goes. You’re shopping for your next Ferrari, playing with the online configurator, but you can’t be sure if the matte Girgio Corsa wheels will really look good with the Rosso Corso paint on the F12. Life’s tough, but augmented reality has the answer.
Metaio and Zspace have been pushing AR in a variety of forms over the past few years, including an app for the Volkswagen XL1. Now it’s turning its attention to automotive with the Ferrari Augmented Reality Showroom, allowing potential buyers to spec up their cars in real-time.
The tablet app is able to track 3D objects using the rear-facing camera. When it’s lined up with one of five Ferrari models, it can superimpose any number of different colors, wheel combinations, brakes, and other accessories, just like they would on a computer. But it’s a bit more than just another configurator.
The app lets owners see beneath the car’s skin, showing the powertrain, an exploded, 3D view of the brake system, and visualizing the aerodynamics by overlaying a virtual wind tunnel.
The AR system is coming to Ferrari dealers in Japan and Australia later this year, and works with the 458 Speciale, 458 Spider, FF, California, and F12 Berlinetta.
Contact the author at damon@jalopnik.com.
Public PGP key
PGP fingerprint: 7301 D7FC 2FF6 D437 E5A7 0568 3A14 624A 1800 4C85