While you can technically bring Apple’s CarPlay to pretty much any car out there with an aftermarket head unit, a factory-installed unit, or at least one that’s provided by the car manufacturer itself, is the better way to go, simply because reliability really shouldn’t be a concern in this case.
And if you own a classic Porsche, you can now install CarPlay using an official Porsche upgrade, which is available right now in Europe for several models.
First and foremost, the new head units don’t bring just CarPlay, but also other new-generation features, like touchscreen support, so the user interaction is substantially improved, as well as Bluetooth for wireless connections and DAB+.
The upgrade, which is powered by the Porsche Classic Communication Management, or PCCM, comes in two different configurations depending on the classic Porsche that you own.
There’s a 3.5-inch display head unit with a single-DIN design, as well as a larger version with a 7-inch screen and a double-DIN slot. They can be used on Porsche 996 and 986, and Porsche says they fit models manufactured between the 1960s and the 1990s.
Of course, a head unit upgrade also comes with a series of other benefits, so you’ll also get a USB port and a microSD car slot, which means you can also connect your portable drives for things like listening to your favorite music. But with CarPlay, you can connect your iPhone and use apps like Spotify for streaming entire playlists right to your car’s speakers.
Since these are official Porsche upgrades, they’re a little bit more expensive than the ones you can find from aftermarket sellers. The smaller version is available in Europe for €1,439 (a little over $1,550), while the bigger screen can be yours for €1,606 (that’s approximately $1735 for our American readers).
Both versions are available right now for purchase in Europe, and Porsche is yet to share any plans of expanding the head units to markets on other continents.
First and foremost, the new head units don’t bring just CarPlay, but also other new-generation features, like touchscreen support, so the user interaction is substantially improved, as well as Bluetooth for wireless connections and DAB+.
The upgrade, which is powered by the Porsche Classic Communication Management, or PCCM, comes in two different configurations depending on the classic Porsche that you own.
There’s a 3.5-inch display head unit with a single-DIN design, as well as a larger version with a 7-inch screen and a double-DIN slot. They can be used on Porsche 996 and 986, and Porsche says they fit models manufactured between the 1960s and the 1990s.
Of course, a head unit upgrade also comes with a series of other benefits, so you’ll also get a USB port and a microSD car slot, which means you can also connect your portable drives for things like listening to your favorite music. But with CarPlay, you can connect your iPhone and use apps like Spotify for streaming entire playlists right to your car’s speakers.
Since these are official Porsche upgrades, they’re a little bit more expensive than the ones you can find from aftermarket sellers. The smaller version is available in Europe for €1,439 (a little over $1,550), while the bigger screen can be yours for €1,606 (that’s approximately $1735 for our American readers).
Both versions are available right now for purchase in Europe, and Porsche is yet to share any plans of expanding the head units to markets on other continents.