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Virtual Reality Type Showroom?

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#2
Things like that always interested me, but I always ran into the "but does it help me put money on the books?" question. It's hard to substantiate if they're worth it, but they're cool nonetheless. I did something similar with my showrooms and I ended up chatting with a few customers who liked it, but they were from my PMA anyway, so chances are my location and not my virtual walk through was the deciding factor on their visit.
 
#3
I don't find this to be a practical resource.
Most of the imagery is so skewed and difficult to navigate that I don't feel you're actually getting value out of it as a consumer.

I like the idea of VR, but not the gimmicks and the "first to market" experiences that are purely technical demos.
 
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#4
There isn't a major manufacturer who hasn't launched a VR/AR initiative, but most have launched overseas or lacked integration to dealership operations (see: Cadillac's Project Pinnacle)

That said, there are great examples available on dealer sites today that are accessible through web. Plus, "Ready Player One" is in theaters getting people excited right now.

It has to sell a car... but how many people pay more for a better experience? Do dealers have vehicles displays where they can't be driven? (Ex: mall, stadium). Are safety features like collision avoidance shown during the test drive or better consumed at home-- saving time once they're in the store?

Virtual and augmented reality has some spectacular applications for dealers that are paying attention.
 
#6
I'm going to give Nick an unsolicited plug here. I had the pleasure of seeing his VR/AR solution at NADA this year and was truly impressed. I own an Oculus Rift, so it wasn't the "cool factor" of a first VR experience, although it does capitalize on that feeling. Nick has developed a very cool solution to remove the hand controllers and make the experience natural for any user. Zuck should be buying that part from him.

@NickCybela and team are in front of the curve. I'd encourage a conversation with him if this is on your radar.
 
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#7
That's high praise, thank you Ryan!

One of the big pieces that makes it feel early can be when anything is possible, it's hard to refine specifically what to do or what it means.

Our hand tracking and visual experiences went through a research team led by a Harvard PhD who studies what makes people buy in VR/AR.

It might surprise you how many dealers/groups have worked with us (or others), including some of the thought leaders here on DealerRefresh.

Bringing the experience to mobile phones (for everyone) or VR headsets (for enthusiasts) is key.
 
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#9
I'm personally a fan of RELAYCARS but with OEM's spending $200M last year (will likely double in 2018) making high resolution models that are also CAD accurate, most dealers will have same content for free through that.

We ran a study through a Harvard PhD's research team and found that customer interest in buying and recollection when driving was exponentially better when not driving in a VR experience (they were too distracted). So, for fun and entertainment RELAYCARS is great-- but not for making someone want to buy the car.

Web based, application free experiences on existing mobile and PC devices is the future of AR/VR today. Although, Magic Leap did come out yesterday so perhaps we'll see that change over the next couple years.
 
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