Apple CarPlay, Android Auto fully modernize Porsche classic radio system

Really, there's nothing like driving a vintage car. It's a totally different animal from today's vehicles, but if there's one comfort that's sometimes hard to give up, it's modern infotainment. Features like Bluetooth streaming and Apple CarPlay make listening to music a breeze. Now, smartphone-mirroring tech is even coming to vintage radio offerings from Porsche.

Porsche Classic's Communication Management system is essentially a retro-looking radio with modern amenities. For years, it's allowed owners of vintage Porsche cars to put navigation and audio streaming in their vehicles. The latest iteration adds Apple CarPlay for iPhone users to make it even more usable. 

The traditional unit still sports a 3.5-inch display and slots perfectly into the dashboard of Porsche cars with a one-DIN layout. Whether it's the first 911 models, or one of the final air-cooled 911s from the 1990s, this will work. Front- and mid-engined cars from the brand may also use this unit. It looks wonderful with cleanly displayed buttons, two knobs and the tiny screen right in the middle.

For 911 and Boxster models built in the later 1990s, owners could specify the cars with a two-DIN layout, which Porsche has an option for these days, too. The Porsche Classic Communication Management-Plus system is an even more modern take on infotainment, with a 7-inch screen complete with the same functions, including Apple CarPlay. While the unit provides more screen, it's also designed to blend in with the buttons surrounding the unit, such as the HVAC controls. Oh, and the two-DIN unit also supports Android Auto.

The units are set to go on sale in Europe first, but they will become available in the US as well. Pricing for the US isn't available yet, but the one-DIN unit costs about $1,550 and the two-DIN around $1,730 at current exchange rates.