Are these the best online car configurators?

For car enthusiasts, one of the great joys of the internet is the ability to take almost any new car on sale and digitally customise it to your heart’s content with online configurators.

Whether you’re actually planning to buy a new vehicle designed exactly to your tastes or simply just want to pass the time by laying out how your dream supercar would look, the best of the best are excellent tools for letting your imagination run wild.

Here, we’re focusing on a handful of online car configurators that we think are the best in the business.

Porsche

When it comes to customising a car, Porsche has all you could ever ask for with its configurator.

Every single model it currently offers is available to select from, and each is shown from a multitude of angles in a set of high resolution images. Every option available for your desired car is available to select, and the images are accurately updated in real-time so you can see exactly how your Porsche would look.

Accurate pricing information is provided too and, better still, if you fancy actually making the purchase it’s possible to have the configuration sent directly to a Porsche retailer to begin the purchase process. Equally if you’re just messing around and want to save your configurations to revisit later, that’s possible too.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin is another of the incredibly desirable firms to offer digital configurations of its cars, and it’s definitely one you’re bound to sink a lot of time into.

Once you’ve picked your preferred model, you’re then met with a number of suggested preset themes to help kick-start the imagination, or offered the option to start your selection from scratch.

Though the images are limited to a 2D view, there are a number of angles you can view your customised Aston from and these also update instantly as you select options. Pricing isn’t listed, so you’ll have to make an inquiry if you’re serious about making the purchase, though it does automatically save your creations in case you fancy revisiting with a fresh mind at a later time.

Bentley

Though Bentley’s configurator is visually one of the most streamlined of the top-end luxury brands, it offers some of the best options out there to play with.

It’s laid out in a simple ‘paint, wheels, interior, options’ manner which makes it very easy to use. Its colours are grouped by the predominant shade followed by variants of that, while an array of wheels for each model can be selected. Again, this all updates in real time too to help perfectly visualise your creation.

One done, you’re presented with a ‘commissioning code’ which can be passed on to a retailer to bring the car to life. There’s no pricing listed, though, so you’d have to do some digging if you’re just curious as to how much your fantasy Bentley would cost.

Caterham

You’d think configuring a Caterham would be pretty basic, considering the firm’s cars are quite famously stripped back to basics. It may come as a surprise to learn its configurator is pretty in-depth, then,

It starts by asking you to choose your specific Seven, as well as a ‘Pack’ — typically S or R depending on the model. From there you’re able to select from a comprehensive list of colour, chassis, suspension and various other options — all of which show on a rendered version of the car instantly.

Exact pricing is updated as you go along too, meaning it’s dead easy to build a car to a specific budget if you so wish.

Ford

Ok, so putting Ford on here may seem mundane compared with the exotic choice of manufacturer configurators we’ve gone for so far — but there’s good reason for its inclusion.

That’s simply because its configurator is, err, simple. Select your desired model, engine and gearbox choices, followed by colour and other options and you’re good to go. A high-resolution model of the car is updated as you go along too which is perfect for visualising, along with real-time price updates.

Once completed, it’s possible to see finance offers or send your desired configuration to a local retailer. You can even arrange a test drive if you so wish.

Morgan

Morgan is quite well known for being traditional in its approach to building cars, so it’s something of a shock to see its online configurator is more akin to a video game than a spec sheet.

For its flagship Plus Six, visitors to the site are instantly met with a 3D model of the car that can be viewed from all angles — as well as with the roof up or down — with a huge amount of options.

It’s even possible to select any colour you want thanks to a full RGB scale, with each selectable option showing up on the model in real-time. In-depth pricing is shown upon completion, and the configuration can be easily passed on to a retailer.