go to a car dealership is a notoriously intimidating , awkward , stressful experience . You ’re plow with someone whose actual Book of Job is to goldbrick as much money out of you as potential , and if you ’re not over - groom , there ’s a strong hazard the dealer will rip you off withone of their many manipulative Jedi judgment john .

But what if you could buy your next car – or even test ram a few just for fun – without a gondola bargainer ’s tuna - salad hint down your neck ? What if you did n’t evenleave the house?Vroom , the online motorcar retailer ,   just announced the launch of its onlinevirtual showroom– a 360 - degree experience available to anyone with theHTC ViveVR unit .   Those who have already scaled the $ 800 entry roadblock into the VR gear can compare hundreds of gently used performance car side by side , like the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang GT , and even take a “ practical tryout ride . ”

How close are we to virtual realism car purchasing replacing thearchaic torturesome practicesof the traditional franchise ? And more significantly , would you really order a car you didn’tactuallydrive first ?

Audi

Courtesy of Audi (edited)

VR could make talking to a car salesperson a thing of the past

Virtual realness has come a long way since the god - awful cyberspace technical school featured inAerosmith ’s   1994 " Amazing " euphony video .   Some even contend that VR isnearly quick for primetime . A handful of automotive society for certain seem to remember so , anyway ; not onlyVroom ,   but also Audi . you could tread into one of a few prime Audi dealerships ( in Germany , but come soon in the US ) and configure a dreaming car like the V10 - powered R8 supercar using virtual reality .   Not to be outdone , evenCadillac is planning to experiment with virtual dealershipswith no physical railway car to push back .

It may sound far - fetched , but integrate VR technology into the automobile - buying process actually comes with some pretty righteous perks . Not induce to distribute with a a car dealer   alone could justify the cost of an Oculus Rift , HTC Vive VR , or the upcoming Project Morpheus headset .

VR will work best to enhance a crack - simplified   car - buying process like Vroom ’s – the company sells used cars online and at a fixed cost . Customers can get all the details of a vehicle ( specs , price range , functioning , even corresponding vehicles ) just like they can on a normal web site , but in a more piquant and interactive manner .   There are no negotiation , and Vroom turn in the car forthwith to the client at the time of his or her choosing .   VR seamlessly bolsters the sales modeling ,   which means   Vroom ’s virtual saleroom concept may in reality put to work – once the company gets its Sony PS1 - grade graphic sorted out .

Vroom’s new VR Showroom

Courtesy of Vroom

It’s kind of perfect for the Tesla sales model, too

Virtual reality salesroom could also be a useful tool for the pre - gross sales of fomite that have been declare but not yet play to market . Last twelvemonth , Audi announced its intent to apply VR to give customers an immersive experience that accurately portrays the styling , dimension , and feel of the car they desire , even if there ’s not one straight off   on hand . That first step is currently in the axial motion - out process , and it ’s not hard to see the benefits for not just Audi , but companies like Tesla thatdon’t have unconstipated franchise , or even enough stock list to go around .

… but dealers will still find a way to ruin your VR fun

On the flip side , there are a few reasons VR is forged for railway car shopper : it ’s not mainstream , dealers will likely ruin it for everyone , and practical reality is n’t probable to trump actual reality anytime soon . If virtual realitydoestake off and slay mainstream , however , then you could count your bottom clam that savvy railroad car dealer will find a room to shoot human versions ofClippyinto the experience ,   only alternatively of annoying - yet - helpful " trace , " they ’ll be   trying to sell you a real railroad car in a practical cosmos .

And there’s really no substitute for a real, live test drive

Audi is for certain trying to boom the fashion its clientele can interact with vehicle in a virtual mount , and Vroom has a " run drive " feature film , but with current technologies , a realistic trial driving force is not something that can be duplicate in a VR surroundings , nor will it be anytime presently . Gazing at animated vehicle in a 3D warehouse is impressive , at least technologically , but it is not , and arguably never will be , the same as put your keister in the machine driver ’s nates and running through the gears … engaging yourentire body and mindin the process .   At the close of the day , most customers need to establish an emotional association with the second largest leverage of their life-time . Unless that leverage is a Tesla , in which case , sure , why notput down $ 1,000 on a elevator car you ’ve never see and wait around a few years .

VR dealerships are just a shtick… for now

The technical school is making progress , and it ’s becoming more low-priced and approachable all the time . At this stage , though , a VR franchise is fundamentally a gimmick to show customers that the business concern is fore - thinking . To day of the month , sales of devices that support VR have n’t exactly made it a household experience . That ’s not to say a version of these types of headset devices could n’t become the next iPhone , but it ’s a long elbow room off , to say the least .

How consumers buy at for cars now is heavy reliant on information they source from their friends and family . They bank on the perspectives of peers to validate and verify shopping decision . But the future looks unlike . We ’ll be even less connected to other humans ( at least in the strong-arm sentience ) . By that fourth dimension , Tesla may have influenced andoverhauled the traditional franchise theoretical account , and we might all be buying both used and novel fomite online at our convenience . Beyond that , as VR evolves , we can require a much more interactive process than the 360 - stage rotating auto image on a unconditional computing machine screen . It is then that we will sincerely see the value of VR in shaping the car sales summons . Until then , we will have to square off for conducting most of our byplay in existent liveliness .

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Dealers will ruin your VR Experience

Courtesy of Audi

VR is just a shtick, at least for now

Courtesy of Vroom

There’s no substitute for a real life test drive

Courtesy of Audi