Best Motoring Porsches custom PCM?

Have you guys watched any of the Japanese Best Motoring shows where they feature Porsches? In all the new gen cars, the center console houses a large display that does not look anything like the standard PCM . Does Japan get a different larger screen PCM ? Or does Best Motoring go through the trouble of mounting a custom headunit for all the cars they test? Going to the Japanese Porsche site seems to show the standard PCM ...

I have a collection of BM DVDs and some of the cars actually sport custom units since most of the cars they run on the track are personal rides. It seems that the only time a manufacturer supplies a car is when they do a special feature, but I could be wrong.

Hello,eecsdude! The device with a larger screen is an optional navigation system. We can choose one with wide 7 inches screen made by Clarion as dealer option. Please access to the next link,if you want to get more information.(Sorry,only in Japanese) http://www.clarion.com/jp/ja/produc...s/2006/navigation/2din_hdd_av_navi/MAX960HD/jp-ja-product-pf_1143439245359.html With one optional cable for iPod connected, we can cotrol it on the screen of the head unit and enjoy music from iPod very easily,and even the music video from it!

sandybelle, Is there an English version available for this Clarion unit? I mean could someone in the US order this from Japan, install it into their Cayman but be able to read the language on the screen? If so, seems like an option, if not, oh well....

PCM - eh? The only good thing is that its integrated and the Porsche Logo pops-up when you start the engine, otherwise it is sooo dated I can understand wanting a better system. I'm sure Porsche mmay update theres soon as it pales in comparison to other German Manufacturers and stand-a-lone systems.. - sorry for the rant, but its all old technology we've been buying...

What is the cost as a dealer option and could it be ordered afterwards? Does it work with the Bose system ? This is an exciting development.

I don't know whether this same Clarion unit can be used in and to be exported to America. Of course Porsche Logo can be showed on the screen when started. The unit has insert sockets for two kinds of memory card ,SD and Memory stick. You can input any kinds of pictures or photos on the start screen as you like. It's very useful and funny. Also if you have BOSE system , the unit can be connected, though it is a little more complicated procedure of experts and more cost for it. I hear it is "registers " of the speaker circuits to make the problem a little more difficult in case of BOSE system than normal sound system , in other word, it is an only problem, not serious. As for iPod, we can connect very easily to the head unit and control it on the screen,as I wrote brfore, And not only Clarion,but also Panasonic and ALPINE head units here are able to do it with one cable for iPod and cotrol it all the same. It is only Clarion unit now that can play iPod Video on the screen. K-Mans, I'll ask Clarion for the questions of you ; 1. Is the head unit that can cotrol iPod available in Ameirica too? 2. Is it displayed in English ? Just a moment by next week -Sandybelle

another great findings from this forum! this is very interesting, i'll be subscribing this thread.

The factory satnav doesn't work / isn't available in Japan. Porsche Japan has linked up with Clarion to provide a dealer-installed solution. They do a pretty good job of making the installation look factory. There are a number of units available, with varying-size hard disks and other funcitonality. Prices range from about JPY 250,000 to 375,000 installed. Depending on exchange rates, roughly USD 2,250 to 3,500. My dealer had told me that the unit was not compatible with the Bose system . I'm pretty sure that Clarion units are available in multiple countries. The model numbers are most likely different and I would expect functionality differences as well. You can't just buy one in Japan and take it to the US - the frequency range is different and items like ETC (auto-toll collection) are very different. I skipped all of this for my car. Just have the stock stereo, it's used occassionaly, and more often than not simply because I'm on the highway and I want to listen to a traffic update.

I don't believe all things the dealer has told to you. Almost any unit can be compatible with Bose system ,because I've asked some expert technicians of car electronics and they said it could. The registers in the speaker circuit has to be modified in such cases. Here I show a sample design for BOSE system .(..only in Japanese) When you click the miscellaneous "chinese words" on a small blue round shape beside the mark of Acrobat Reader on the page, you get pdf files about electric circuit. On the second page of the file, you find the speaker circuit of modified BOSE system for the head unit. Good luck

btw, any of our japanese member has this installed? do you have picture of it? and i believe the series for this clarion is the MAX960HD ?

I guess Japanese dealers a lot more stereo-mod friendly they do it for you.

That's what porsche should be including over here

Please access to the link of Clarion as follows; http://www.clarion.com/jp/ja/company/profile/g_network/usa/index.html#1 And you could solve the problems.

i just want to know about the trim where can you get a trim that makes it look so good. in the pic they show a trim piece and some cable s can we get that in USA. Where if so

If you look on the clarion (USA) website, the MAX675 looks like the closest match to the MAX690 shown on the video. Looks slick.

Whoa, Jeff you're right. They sell the trim plate and a plug adapter so you don't have to splice anything. That would make the install a piece of cake; we need to find someone in Japan who will buy these kits and sell them to us. That page, when I translated it, seems to be just for the standard audio system. It makes it so you can just use an adapter plug instead of manually splicing cables. They also do make a CANBUS adapter, I linked it below. I used altavista's babelfish translator to do all the translations, so please copy urls to their service first to get them in english. This is the actual link to the can-bus adapter, posted above is for the standard audio. http://www.pb-jp.com/item/index_ins_Last.php?pro_id=148 It looks like the plug will extract speaker signal from the canbus adapter...for those of us with the sound package plus who want to install nav systems, it will actually pull the speed signal from the canbus and convert it to analog. For those with Bose, you must buy these adapters to fix the resistance issue with the Bose speakers and amplifiers and you have to rewire certain speakers... http://www.pb-jp.com/item/index_ins_Last.php?pro_id=89 Sandybelle, I need your help... what does this product do ( http://www.pb-jp.com/item/index_ins_Last.php?pro_id=80) . I see it is a power adapter but it also says a lot about dimming and the translation isn't very clear... These guys have thought of everything... I think this is offtopic in this thread, but they even sell a resistor pack to put on an aftermarket HID installation kit... http://www.pb-jp.com/item/index_ins_Last.php?pro_id=68 I feel like a kid in a candy shop... this link is actually a guide to stereo installations in the 997\987! http://www.pb-jp.com/docs1/porsche997.html - SS

Also if you look at their pictures, their trim plates aren't a perfect color match. Perhaps we can get with eric@bumperplugs who should have volcano grey now and get them to match. Also, they actually make a canbus adapter they call the "PLUS" which allows you to use steering wheel controls with the aftermarket radio, insane... - SS

sunnet, it is adapter of circuit elecrical resorce for illumination. As I don't know exactly how this device functions, I translate directly the senrtences you pointed out into English ,as possible as I can; By using this,you can get stable 12V illumination circuit source from the illumination circuit through dimmer control (control for brightness of the inner room),regardless of the brightness. You are able to install car navigation and car stereo system easier , and also there're less troble by managing cables. ...I'll ask the company Pb ,whether you can oder from america. I introduce another link of head unit install for 987 & 997; http://www.naviokun.com/text/technique.text/type997_01.html The "Naviokun" is the famous pro shop for carnavi unit installation. They come your home and install without extra pay.

Sandybelle, the nabiokun has a far better color match on their kit. Could you ask them as well if they would allow someone from the US to order the dash kit as well and what it includes? Thank you for all of the help, Suneet

Thanks for all the hard work suneet. It would bed awesome if we could get that here screw the porsche pcm if you can get a kenwood or sony to look just as good and with easy instalation. Aftermarket navs are leaps and bounds ahead of porsche. That is one of the cleanest looking installs that I have ever seen. man I want it.

Agreed,Suneet. Sandybelle

sunnet, today they answered it couldn't , sorry.

I agree that its an awesome intergrated NAV; I have not looked into other threads, but is there anything close to this in USA for a non- PCM car?

Not that I have found.

sandybelle, that's ok, my brother frequents Tokyo a lot and perhaps I can work something out with his office there. Thank you for trying, and the knowledge that these kits exist makes me very happy. - Suneet

Hey Suneet....try this: http://oohjapan.com/ I just placed an order....I'll let you know how it turns out!!

I cant wait to hear the estimate they give you. I hope this works out I'd love to get one of those kit too.