Porsche Just Vanished Another Reason Not To Daily A Used Cayman Or 911
Infotainment retrofit option has been expanded to bring CarPlay and Android Auto to multiple Porsche models built between 2009-16
- Porsche has released two new upgraded media systems for its older cars.
- The two double-DIN units work with the 2009-16 Boxster, Cayman and 911.
- Both feature a 7-inch touchscreen and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The biggest telltale of car’s age isn’t its power, performance or handling. It’s the infotainment and connectivity. Even cars that cost big bucks 10 or 15 years ago can feel ancient once you start dealing with period media and navigation systems. But Porsche has a fix that gives owners of older models all the connivence of newer ones, while looking like they’ve never been messed with.
Porsche’s Classic Communication Management Plus (PCCM Plus) systems aren’t new. They’ve been around since 2020, and to date more than 300,000 units have been sold to owners of 996-generation 911s and first-generation 986 and 987.1 Boxsters and Caymans. Even old air cooled 911s are covered by a single-DIN PCCM kit. But now the brand is expanding availability to the next wave of neo-classic Porsches from 2009 to 2016.
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The two new PCCM Plus infotainment units are designed to slot into the consoles of the 981.2, 981, 997.2 and 991.1. Which, in case you don’t speak Porsche geek, means they’ll fit the 2009-12 and 2013-16 Boxter and Cayman, and 2009-13 and 2012-16 911.
Most, but not all, of those cars, came with a touchscreen media unit from the factory, and the new systems are designed to fit seamlessly into the stock dashboard aperture. Each gets a 7-inch touchscreen, though drivers can also control functions using the stock steering wheel controls, where fitted. So not you, GT3 owners.
Navigation instructions and music tracks can be displayed in the instrument cluster, and you get all of the convenience kit you expect from a modern car, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth for phone calls and Wi-Fi. Speed limits are also shown to help stop you getting carried away, and Boxster and Cayman models get visual parking assistance instead of just audio guidance.
European systems come with DAB radio, the US gets HD, and all units have FM and AM tuners, plus Bluetooth streaming. You can even watch YouTube videos when stationary (if your country allows it) and change the color of the virtual car on the screen to match your car’s real exterior color.
Navigation maps can be viewed as satellite images, and a Scenic Roads nav function will send you by the most fun route instead of just the quickest. A nano SIM gives 4G data access and map revisions are handled by over-the-air updates, so there’s no need to trek down to your Porsche dealer, or drag your laptop into the garage every year.
