?Augmented reality offerings like this help consumers think through what they'd want in a car, before they ever step into a dealership,? said Yoni Solomon, product-marketing manager with Chicago-based Vibes. ?This better prepares them to make decisions on what they want and don't want ? and ultimately makes the car buying process that much more efficient.

?Consumers definitely have just as much to benefit from mobile and augmented reality as marketers do.?

The ringtone can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/chryslercommunications. It 

is one of several ways Dodge is providing consumers a sneak preview of the car, which can travel a quarter mile in 11.2 seconds and goes on sale later this year for just under $60,000.

In April, Chrysler previewed its three-dimensional augmented reality application at the New York Auto Show. The app allows visitors to experience the 2015 Charger and Challenger models on their own tablets or mobile devices, giving them the ability to custom design vehicles, take 360-degree tours of the interior and exterior offerings and test drive their cars on a virtual track.

Chrysler is far from the first automaker to leverage augmented reality. For example, German automaker Volkswagen launched a campaign for its app last year promoting luxury sister brand, Audi.

An Audi commercial featuring Playboy magazine showed off interactive automobile advertisements that permitted readers to use a mobile device to uncover hidden potential behind a print magazine.

Tying the campaign to mobile is seen as a way for Chrysler to reach buyers who enjoy researching products on their own terms. Augmented reality can help these consumers get a look and feel for a car, no matter where they are, Vibes? Mr. Solomon said. 

?Videos of the Challenger Hellcat posted on the internet, featuring the roar of its 707 horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI engine, have garnered millions of views and shares, so we know interest and anticipation is there,? said Tim Kuniskis, Chrysler Group president and CEO, Dodge and SRT Brands.

?It made perfect sense to capture this sound in a ringtone that fans can share months before the vehicle is even on the road.

 

?Immediate interest in the ringtone surpassed our expectations as there were more than 60,000 downloads of the ringtone and wallpaper in the first day alone,? he said. ?In fact, the DriveSRT.com website set an all-time traffic record in terms of visits the day the ringtone launched.?