Virtually every car manufacturer today has an online car configurator that shows you what your car will look like as you spec it out. For car enthusiasts, however, the car that the manufacturer delivers is really just a blank slate that still needs to be modified, tuned, and personalized. GarageFuse, which is launching in beta today, wants to become the car configurator for these aftermarket customers. The site offers its users a 3D configurator that is not manufacturer-specific and a community of active enthusiasts who can share and discuss their custom creations.
The service was founded by 22 year-old Daniel Oldja. For the time being, GarageFuse only focuses on Audi’s lineup, ranging from the A3 to the R8 GT Spyder. As for aftermarket products, the site currently provides access to custom wheels from a number of premium vendors, as well as an aftermarket body kit from PPI Automotive Design for the R8. In the long run, the site aims to expand to other OEM manufacturers and aftermarket companies “by exploring the next greatest demand and impact within the community.”
Most of the configurators that are currently on the market use pretty basic source photography. GarageFuse says it’s the “first 3D configurator that is not manufacturer specific.” The site was developed by DreamSoft and – sadly – uses Flash to display the 3D images.
“The capacity to visualize aftermarket parts on cars is a challenging task, and while existing car configurators have become an important marketing element, they only serve OEM components to their audience,” said Oldja, who is CEO of GarageFuse. “GarageFuse eliminates this longstanding barrier by allowing users to build their own vehicle with a combination of OEM and aftermarket parts in a 3D environment.”
