5 of the coolest online car configurators around

You’re slumped over at your mercilessly cramped office desk, a mug of lukewarm coffee seemingly glued to your non-mousing hand. The woman in the cubicle alongside yours is STILL nattering away on her mobile phone, forcing out each syllable with the subtlety of a gossip-filled hand grenade.

You tightly close your eyes and attempt to bargain with the gods of time. “Free me from this air-conditioned hell,” you whimper. Please, just let it be 5pm, and you swear, you’ll never steal a strawberry flavoured yoghurt from the office fridge again.

Your left eye sluggishly peels open to squint at the clock in the grey panel at the bottom of the screen (yes, your penny-pinching boss insists Windows 98 is “perfectly modern”). Blast. It’s only 10:47am.

At this point, you could attempt to fashion a makeshift cot under your desk, using nothing but discarded bubble-wrap and faded post-it notes. Or you could prank-call oh-so-gullible Larry on the seventh floor. Again. Or you could instead turn to one of Motorburn’s all-time favourite forms of perennial procrastination: the online car configurator (and give Larry a break. Seriously).

Yes, all sorts of fun can be had specifying a vehicle you’ll never be able to afford to levels that nobody would ever be able to stomach. Crank out a neon-green Rolls-Royce Wraith and a Ferrari California T trimmed in baby-poo brown leather and before you know it, it’s time to blow this popsicle stand.

So, check out five of our favourite online car configurators and thank us later. And if you manage to build something truly special/outlandish/hideous, feel free to share it on Motorburn’s Facebook page. Oh, and send this on to Larry.

1. Ferrari California T

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The California T may not have officially landed on Ferrari dealer floors just yet, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing around with what is rather a special configurator. In addition to the usual paint colour and interior trim choices, this configurator allows a comparison of current and new creations (for the multi-taskers out there), and even permits you to “explore the reflections” in the paintwork via a tiny sun that can be dragged along an axis. Splendid.

Inside the cockpit of the 412kW supercar, you can choose from a wide range of trim colours, as well as specify the type and hue of the stitching. You can also mess about with various styles of carpets, seats, door panels, and steering wheels. Virtual smokers will be delighted to know that a smoking kit can also be added with a simple click. Once complete – or indeed at any stage during the build – you can assess a 360-degree overview of your work of automotive art (and even change the setting to “night”, in case you’re “working” late).

2. Rolls-Royce Wraith

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The nifty Rolls-Royce configurator can be applied to any of the brand’s seven stunning vehicles, but we eventually settled on the Wraith. The range of paint colours available is absolutely astounding – enough to cover the full spectrum of varying tastes from rowdy footballers to reserved royalty – while much fun can be had adding coachlines in frankly off-the-wall colours. At first glance, the configurator appears rather simple, but dig deep enough and the level of detail may surprise you.

For instance, you’re able to choose from a handful of different colours for items such as door piping and seatbelts, and you can even select your preferred veneer (Tuscan Ash Burr, anyone?) for the oh-so-posh dashboard. We couldn’t help but specify lambswool footmats and a leather boot floor. Oh, and a gold-plated “Spirit of Ecstasy” figurine for atop the front grille, of course.

3. Koenigsegg Agera R

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Since Koenigsegg is unlikely to release a configurator for the One:1 (all six models have already been sold), we instead opted to get up close and personal with one of our old favourites: the Agera R. The layout of this configurator is a little simpler than the others, but it’s also far quicker (which is terrific for those of us with less-than-stable connections). It’ll also quickly bring out your inner kid, as it supports all sorts of childish colour combinations.

And rather than providing a 360-degree view of the finished product, Koenigsegg instead presents your automotive concoction in predetermined (and rather tasty) scenes. Simple yet entirely effective. And before you ask, yes, we went for a purple steering wheel (to offset the gleaming pink paintwork. Or something).

4. McLaren 650S

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What do we like most about the McLaren 650S configurator? The fact that we can specify virtually ANYTHING in carbon-fibre (there’s no such thing as too much carbon-fibre, right?). The system is pretty simple, and features four distinct categories (paint, wheels & brakes, exterior, and interior) as well as a section to add accessories and eventually view a summary of your handiwork.

That said, there’s plenty of detail for those who want control over items such as the colour of the oil- and coolant caps, the logos on the side-sills and even the language of the owner’s manual. And it certainly stays true to what is possible in the real world, quickly alerting you when the addition of one feature requires the deletion of another. Just in case, you know, you were actually going to BUY one.

5. Aston Martin Vanquish

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This clever tool may just take up most of your day. Yes, it’s quite possible to amuse oneself with the Aston Martin Vanquish configurator until the cows come home, although they probably wouldn’t if they caught sight of the selection of leather trim on offer. Although there are just two main sections — exterior and interior — they are each fantastically comprehensive.

In fact, the cabin can be trimmed to your precise specifications, allowing you individual control over at least four different areas of stitching, and even the colour of the handcrafted rotary controls on the centre console. There’s also an “options and accessories” page, but unfortunately anything added from here doesn’t appear on the virtual model – not that tyre cushions (yes, there is such a thing), a branded umbrella, or an indoor car cover could, we suppose.