Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft (Porsche AG) dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images Porsche has launched its "911 Spirit 70" app for Apple Vision Pro, marking the luxury automaker’s first significant foray into customer-facing spatial computing. The new application, available today on the Vision Pro App Store, allows users to place a virtual Porsche 911 in their physical environment, examine it from all angles, and customize it in real-time. Screen capture from the "911 Spirit 70" app for Apple Vision Pro Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG "With the Porsche 911 Spirit 70 app for the Apple Vision Pro, we want to give our customers and fans a journey back to the 1970s. This decade was characterized by colors, materials, and many Porsche successes that continue to shape our heritage today," says Boris Apenbrink, Director Exclusive Manufaktur Limited Series & Options. "With this app, our customers gain deep insights into the creation process of the iconic designs of the decade and can digitally customize their dream vehicle," adds Lars Krämer, Manager of Innovations at Porsche. 911 Spirit 70 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG The app's standout feature is real-time customization, allowing users to instantly change exterior colors, wheel designs, interior materials, and trim packages. As modifications are selected, the app provides historical context about each option and its significance in Porsche's design language. Spatial audio enhances the experience, simulating authentic engine sounds and mechanical operations. MORE FOR YOU DOGE-Trolling Ransomware Hackers Demand $1 Trillion Google Starts Scanning Your Photos—3 Billion Users Must Now Decide Apple Brings Back iPhone 15 Pro And 15 Pro Max For The 1st Time — At Lower Prices Color selection in the "911 Spirit 70" app for Apple Vision Pro Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG Seat upholstery selection from the "911 Spirit 70" app for Apple Vision Pro Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG This isn’t Porsche’s first development with the Apple Vision Pro. Since the launch of the device in Q1 2024, Porsche has been actively exploring the its potential across business units, including exploring the transformation of their media events, investigating enhanced shop floor training with immersive scenarios and providing race engineers with real-time data insights for improved race management. Porsche's media communication experience leveraging the Apple Vision Pro Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG From Coach Houses to Headsets: The Evolution of Car Customization The history of automotive customization is deeply rooted in the craft of coachbuilding. Long before mass production, skilled artisans crafted bespoke carriage bodies for the aristocracy and wealthy merchants. When automobiles began replacing horse-drawn carriages in the early 20th century, coachbuilders like Pininfarina, Zagato, and Karmann pivoted to creating custom bodies for automobile chassis. Circa 1923, Arthur Mulliner's coachbuilding works, Northampton. Workers on the production line at ... More the factory; Mulliner's provided coachwork for Rolls Royce cars. (Photo by National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images) Heritage Images/Getty Images These master craftsmen were the original automotive customizers, transforming standard vehicles into personalized expressions of wealth and taste. The relationship between client and coachbuilder was intimate, with extensive consultation and collaboration throughout the design process. As mass production revolutionized the industry, car showrooms evolved from simple garages to grand architectural statements. General Motors' "Art and Colour Section," established in 1927 under Harley Earl, revolutionized how cars were displayed. Elegant showrooms featuring dramatic lighting, rotating platforms, and luxurious surroundings elevated the automobile from mere transportation to aspirational lifestyle statement. Battista Pininfarina, 'Pinin' Farina founded Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930. This company was ... More designed to build special car bodies for a number of select customers. They are associated with some of the most famous sports car designs, including the Ferrari Dino, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, Lancia Flaminia. Pininfarina is particularly associated with Italian cars, and Ferrari in particular, but also produced designs for General Motors, Jaguar, Peugeot and many others. In 1961, at the age of 68, Battista passed the company on to his son, Sergio. (Photo by National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images) Heritage Images/Getty Images The digital revolution of the 1990s and 2000s brought online configurators, allowing consumers to experiment with colors and options from home. These tools democratized customization but lacked the tactile experience of traditional showrooms. Automakers experimented with augmented reality apps that projected virtual vehicles onto smartphone screens, but the experience remained limited by small displays. November 2017, A model of a car with a tablet app to change its color via augmented reality. picture alliance via Getty Images Spatial computing represents the next step in this evolution, attempting to bridge the gap between digital convenience and physical experience. Whether it succeeds may depend on addressing some fundamental challenges. Critical Questions About Utility vs. Novelty The traditional process of acquiring a vehicle is deeply intertwined with sensory experience. The distinct aroma of premium materials, the reassuring solidity of interior controls, and, most importantly, the dynamic feedback of driving – these are intrinsic elements that contribute significantly to a buyer's connection with a car. These tactile and experiential facets are, by their very nature, resistant to complete digital translation. The nuanced feedback and emotional resonance derived from physical interaction remain a critical component of the evaluation process. More broadly, as luxury brands across various sectors – including fashion houses like Gucci, luggage makers such as Rimowa, jewelers like Bulgari, and automotive manufacturers – experiment with the Apple Vision Pro, spatial computing and XR devices as customer touchpoints, legitimate questions arise concerning the genuine value proposition versus the potential for expensive novelties. Ultimately, while questions of immediate utility versus novelty arise in the context of consumer-facing automotive applications of spatial computing, it’s important to acknowledge that this technology has already proven its value as a significant tool in the design world. Across architecture, interior design, and for global design teams collaborating on product development, spatial computing offers tangible benefits in visualization, collaboration, and efficiency. This established utility in the design and creation process provides a crucial context as automotive brands explore its potential as a new customer touchpoint. An Impending Spatial Computing Race While Porsche is first among luxury automakers to embrace Apple's platform, the spatial computing landscape is rapidly evolving. Android XR, Google's spatial computing platform, is expected to launch this summer. The platform promises wider accessibility through more affordable hardware options from multiple manufacturers. Samsung’s upcoming Project Moohan, a mixed reality headset developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm and slated for release later this year, may significantly alter the competitive landscape. With an expected price point of approximately $1,800—roughly half that of Apple Vision Pro—and compatibility with the Android ecosystem, it could be the catalyst to make spatial computing not only accessible but attractive to a broader audience. However, the true value and user adoption will depend on the software developers, in this case, Porsche AG, who create compelling experiences for the device’s ecosystem. Evolution or Revolution? From coach houses to headsets, automotive retail continues to evolve. Porsche’s visionOS app represents an interesting experiment in high-end digital experiences, but whether it signals a fundamental shift or merely an expensive detour remains to be seen. As spatial computing becomes more accessible through competing platforms and devices, its true impact on automotive retail will become clearer. This year promises to be particularly exciting, with highly anticipated showcases like Apple's WWDC 2025 and Google I/O potentially revealing further advancements and strategies in this space, among other developments across the tech landscape. For now, spatial computing stands as another chapter in the ongoing tension between digital convenience and physical experience—a negotiation that has defined automotive retail since the first Model T rolled off the assembly line. Porsche’s initiative may prove prescient or premature, but it certainly won’t be the last attempt to reimagine how we shop for, customize, and connect with automobiles. The only certainty is that whether through a headset or in a showroom, people’s desire to personalize their vehicles—a tradition extending back to the first coachbuilders—will continue driving innovation in automotive retail. View the Apple Vision Pro app here. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website. Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades