car-configurator-mcp

Let Claude (or another AI assistant) build your next car for you.

Tell the assistant what you want in plain words, for example "a Golf GTI in a metallic colour with 19-inch wheels, under 52,000 €", and it uses the manufacturer's own online configurator to put the car together. You get the price, the equipment, consumption/WLTP figures and technical data, and at the end a link that opens your car in the official configurator on the manufacturer's website, ready to show your dealer.

It works with:

Brand	Models
Volkswagen	Polo, Golf, T-Roc, Tiguan, ID. family, …
Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge (vans & pickups)	ID. Buzz, Multivan, California, Transporter, Caddy, Crafter, Amarok
Porsche	911, 718, Taycan, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne

Prices are for Germany (in EUR, incl. VAT). Porsche can also be switched to other countries, see Other countries.

Unofficial. This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Volkswagen AG, Porsche AG or any of their subsidiaries. All brand and model names are trademarks of their respective owners. It talks to the same behind-the-scenes services as the public websites, so it can stop working whenever the manufacturers change them. It is meant for personal use; no login or personal data is involved. Prices and data are for information only: the manufacturer's configurator and your dealer have the final word.

Installation

This is an "MCP server", a small add-on that gives your AI assistant new abilities. Setting it up takes about five minutes and two steps.

Step 1: Install Node.js

The add-on needs Node.js (free) to run. Download the LTS version from nodejs.org and install it like any other program. You only have to do this once.

Already have it? Fine, version 20 or newer is needed.

Step 2: Add it to your AI app

Claude Desktop app

1. Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens a file called claude_desktop_config.json in a text editor.

2. Replace its content with the following (if the file already contains other entries under "mcpServers", just add the "car-configurator" part next to them):

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "car-configurator": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": ["-y", "github:juri1212/car-configurator-mcp"]
       }
     }
   }

3. Save the file and quit Claude Desktop completely (on a Mac: Cmd+Q; on Windows: right-click the Claude icon in the taskbar tray → Quit), then open it again.

4. Start a new chat. Under the "+" / tools button you should now see car-configurator. The very first start can take a minute while it downloads.

Claude Code (terminal)

claude mcp add car-configurator -- npx -y github:juri1212/car-configurator-mcp

Other apps (Cursor, VS Code, …)

Most apps that support MCP accept the same JSON block as Claude Desktop above. Look for "MCP servers" in the app's settings.

Try it

Just ask, for example:

• "Configure a Golf GTI in a metallic paint with 19-inch wheels and IQ.DRIVE, stay under 52,000 €, and give me a link to it."
• "Spec a Cayenne Electric with ventilated seats and compare it with a Taycan."
• "What does an ID. Buzz with 7 seats and the long wheelbase cost?"
• "Open this VW Code and add a towbar: ABC12345"

The assistant will tell you when the manufacturer automatically adds or removes something (e.g. because a package requires it). Ask for the link at the end; it opens your exact car on the manufacturer's website.

Something not working?

• The tool doesn't show up: make sure you quit Claude Desktop fully (not just closed the window) and that Node.js is installed. On Windows, a restart of the computer after installing Node.js sometimes helps.
• "npx not found" / "spawn npx ENOENT": Node.js isn't installed or the app can't find it. Reinstall Node.js from nodejs.org and restart your computer.
• Errors about a model or option: the manufacturer may have changed their website. Please open an issue.

Other countries

By default everything is for Germany. For Porsche you can pick another market by adding an env line to the config, e.g. for the UK:

"car-configurator": {
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "github:juri1212/car-configurator-mcp"],
  "env": { "PORSCHE_LOCALE": "en-GB" }
}

To show only some brands, add "BRANDS": "porsche" (or "vw", "vwn", comma-separated) to the same env block. All settings are listed under Configuration.

---

Everything below is technical reference for developers and the curious.

Running from a local checkout

git clone https://github.com/juri1212/car-configurator-mcp.git
cd car-configurator-mcp
npm install   # also builds dist/

claude mcp add car-configurator -- node /absolute/path/to/car-configurator-mcp/dist/index.js

or, for other clients, use "command": "node" with "args": ["/absolute/path/to/car-configurator-mcp/dist/index.js"].

To pass settings, add them as environment variables, e.g. claude mcp add car-configurator -e BRANDS=porsche -e PORSCHE_LOCALE=en-GB -- … or an "env": { … } block in the JSON config.

Tools

Tool	What it does
list_models	Model lines of all enabled brands with starting price, fuel types, trims
list_variants	Variants of a model (grouped by trim) with variant_id, price, power, gearbox
start_configuration	New configuration from a variant_id (or carline + trim + optional model_code) → config_id
list_options	Options by category (paint, interior, wheels, packages, options, accessories, standard); filter by text, budget
get_option	Details of one option, package contents
change_options	Add/remove options; reports what the backend changed on its own and any choices_required; dry_run previews
get_summary	Model, colours, options, price breakdown, performance, efficiency/WLTP, technical data
export_code	Save with the manufacturer and get a link that opens the car in the official configurator (plus its code, e.g. a VW Code)
import_code	Load a code into an editable configuration; brand is optional and otherwise detected
compare_configurations	Side-by-side comparison of two or more configurations
list_configurations	Configurations in the current session

Prices are numbers in the market currency (each response names it in currency), incl. VAT.

How changes are reported

change_options returns the price change and side_effects:

• added / removed: additional options the backend changed to keep the car buildable. The agent should mention these to you.
• replaced: the previous paint, interior or wheel choice.
• standard_replaced / standard_restored: standard parts swapped for the versions included with a package or wheel option. Nothing is lost.

choices_required lists picks the user has to make. It is always empty for Volkswagen, whose backend decides on its own. Porsche sometimes asks, e.g. for a new interior or seats when an option rules out the current one. The server then applies the configurator's default, names it in chosen and lists the alternatives. The agent can switch by adding another choice's code, or pass the wanted choice up front (add: ["4D3", "Q1J"]).

Configurations live in memory while the server runs. Export one to keep it. VW Codes are valid for about six months; VW links carry the configuration itself and work as long as VW still offers that model. Porsche links are porsche-code.com short links to the Porsche Code.

Configuration

Env var	Default	Purpose
BRANDS	all	Limit the server to some brands, comma-separated: vw (cars, volkswagen.de), vwn (commercial vehicles, volkswagen-nutzfahrzeuge.de), porsche (configurator.porsche.com)
VW_API_KEY	discovered	Override the OneAPI key (both brands)
VW_SITE / VWN_SITE	the brand's site	Market site, used to discover API key and tenant
VW_TENANT / VWN_TENANT	discovered (ihdcc-vw-de-de) / ihdcc-vwn-de-de	Override the tenant
VW_CONFIGURATOR_URL / VWN_CONFIGURATOR_URL	<site>/konfigurator.html	Configurator page that export_code links into
PORSCHE_LOCALE	de-DE	Porsche market and language, e.g. en-GB, en-US, fr-CH
PORSCHE_MODELS_URL	per locale	porsche.com model overview page that names and prices the models (known for de-DE, en-GB, en-US, de-CH, fr-CH)

VW_* settings apply to Volkswagen cars, VWN_* to commercial vehicles. VW_BRAND, the old name of BRANDS, still works.

Only the German market has been tested. Reports from other markets are welcome.

Commercial vehicles

Cars and commercial vehicles are served side by side. list_models returns both ranges, each model tagged with its brand (vw or vwn); the catalogue tools take an optional brand to narrow down. A configuration remembers its brand, and import_code detects it from the code.

Prices are reported incl. VAT, like for cars. Summaries also include net_total (excl. VAT), which is what business customers usually look at. Links from export_code open the configurator on the Nutzfahrzeuge site.

Porsche

list_models returns the Porsche model ranges (911, 718, Taycan, …) with brand porsche; list_variants groups their models by series (e.g. 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera Cabriolet). Each model is one variant_id, its order type (e.g. 992142 for the 911 Carrera GTS). Option names, technical data and efficiency labels come in the market's language.

Porsche Codes look like VW Codes (8 letters/digits). import_code also takes porsche-code.com links and asks the backends which one knows a plain code. Every export creates a new Porsche Code on Porsche's side, so export only when you want to keep or share a configuration. Paint to Sample needs input the server can't give; choose it in the Porsche configurator.

Development

npm test                           # unit + MCP tests against recorded fixtures
npm run build && npm run test:live # end-to-end against the real backends (creates two VW Codes and a Porsche Code)

Backend notes are in SPEC.md.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome, especially reports when a backend changed and something broke, and testing in other markets. Please run npm run typecheck && npm test before opening a PR. New backend behaviour should come with a recorded fixture in test/fixtures/ so the tests stay offline.

License

MIT