1. A system for use in a vehicle comprising: an interface for receiving signals from and sending signals to one or more input elements; a mobile communication transceiver, for wireless communications through a mobile communication network; a processor coupled to the interface and the wireless transceiver; a memory coupled to the processor; and a program stored in the memory, wherein execution of the program by the processor configures the system to perform functions, including functions to: detect an identification associated with a user in response to the user coming into proximity of a vehicle; when the identification associated with the user was not previously detected: send a query via the mobile communication network for a server, the query including the identification associated with the user; receive a response to the query from the server via the mobile communication network, the response including a driver profile for the user; store the received driver profile for the user in the memory, the stored driver profile subsequently providing an indication that the identification associated with the user was previously detected; and apply the received driver profile for the user within the vehicle; and when the identification associated with the user was previously detected, as indicated by previous storage of the received driver profile for the user being disposed in the memory: retrieve, from the memory, the received driver profile for the user previously stored in the memory when the identification associated with the user was not previously detected; and apply the retrieved driver profile for the user within the vehicle, wherein: (a) the driver profile specifies a driver preference setting for one or more configurable components of the vehicle, and (b) the one or more driver preference settings specified in the driver profile conform to one or more preferences of the user previously supplied to the server.