[maserati of minneapolis]

I hope this isn't a duplicate post, but the configurator for the Gran Turismo appears to be nearly finished. Lots of different angles to look at the car, an x-ray view mode, and you can finally see how the different colors are really going to look. Considering how few options this has, and the focus is more on color combos, I think this is one of the best configurators I've seen, if a little bit slow.

http://granturismo.maserati.com/index.php


- Mark

 

[Lue]

why do they only have three kinds of nasty brown wood for that band in the middle? How about brushed aluminum or carbon? With a red exterior and an all black interior the stripe of wood looks dumb. Am I missing something? Is there a way around this option?

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

Ya know, I was wondering that myself.

I'm not sure if there is a bug in the configurator where it doesn't de-select the wood when you choose the non-wood trim or what. I'll see what I can find out on that. I haven't seen an official news release about the configurator being up, so I'm guessing its not quite finished.

There are definitely some bad combinations out there though.

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

A day later, and we've got a press release:

"The Innovations
The user interface for the Maserati GranTurismo car configurator takes place in a studio setting and provides customization of all vehicle options. Not only are basic exterior and interior colors customizable, but the detail extends even to items such as available contrasting stitching on the seats. Further innovation comes from several key components:

Realization
The exterior visualization consists of the ability to interactively orbit the vehicle, to configure the interior from the exterior, and to view the vehicle in a realistic environment. The interior visualization consists of predefined angels ensuring high quality coverage of configurable elements with the added option to view the interior at night.

Additionally, and as a first for any configuration program, Maserati has developed a technical x-ray view. The user will literally be able to see through the skin of the vehicle, showcasing important mechanical parts as hot spots that will provide the user access to specific information such as engine, brakes, suspension, transmission, etc.

Basic Elements
Exterior visualization with 8 camera angles, interior visualization with 4 camera angles, and night interior view, will create realistic images. With more than 4-million ways to configure this vehicle, individuals will have exterior choices of 19 body colors, 6 wheel choices, and 6 brake caliper colors. Additional offerings include 10 interior colors, 3 different woods, 5 carpet color choices, 4 colors of headliners, 2 colors of seatbelts, and 13 colors of stitching. If 4 million possible combinations is a little overwhelming, there is also a “Maserati Suggests” section to offer a variety of pre-configured recommendations.

Comparing Configurations
Throughout any stage of the configuration process, the user can compare side-by-side two differently configured vehicles, and can easily switch between two superimposed images or move and resize a masking area which allows a view of the underlying visualization, ultimately, allowing the user to choose his preferred configuration.

Digitalizing the Brochure
The takeaway is a summary, provided in a brochure-like appearance, allowing the user to review their choices by interactively browsing a personalized digital booklet.

We invite you to visit www.maseratiamerica.com/gt and build your own GranTurismo today!"

I think there are still a couple bugs with choosing a Maserati suggests combo after changing something like stitching or a wood vs. leather wheel, but it's still pretty cool.