I've been reading today with much excitement about Porsche Classic's new PCCM Plus entertainment system. Being the type of person that spends hours each day pouring over internet classifieds for interesting classic cars, one of the biggest turnoffs for me is an aftermarket audio system. Why? They never work as well as you'd like, look bad and ruin the classic aesthetics of the car, have bright lights that blind you while you're trying to enjoy an epic night drive -- the list goes on...
Below a great example- top image- beautiful blue leather interior R129... but wait- what is that hideous thing in front of the über-rare manual transmission you ask? A terrible aftermarket stereo. Then, look at the next image, Jason Cammisa's old car, and you tell me how big the difference is....
This being said, I understand why people change their audio systems- factory stuff on cars from the 90s and early 2000s can be complicated to integrate with modern tech (iphones, even CDs LOL). I for example have tried many solutions to link into my 1999 BMW's stereo and none work so well- in fact I've resorted to going to the local record store and buying cassette tapes (which is the only input my radio offers) and enjoying the old school experience. My BMW is definitely not a daily driver, so this works..
BUT- when I think about cars like a 996... a 996 911 coupe could very reasonably be your daily driver today. Low price of entry, relative comfort, decently solid reliability, and all weather performance with the weight over the rear wheels. If you were daily driving it though, wouldn't it be convenient to properly connect to your cell phone so that you don't have to pull your eyes way off the road to see directions, so that your songs and podcasts from spotify play seamlessly, so that you can even take phone calls with good clarity and not try to juggle things around?
My vote is that having this PCCM + system in your 996 would actually help you to spend more time focusing on the road and the drive, because all of the modern day distractions would be well managed. The reality is that these distractions don't go away- so we either need to manage them or reserve the experience of taking out our toys for specific occasions.
No matter how you feel on this particular issue, we all must rejoice in manufacturers taking on a greater interest and focus on their classic vehicles. Whether that be with the classic departments developing interesting products like this PCCM, providing restoration services, or even focusing on the sale of interesting/low mileage like Daimler is doing with their ALL TIME STARS. I see a bright future for our beloved classic car industry.
I have a 996 on my list of cars to buy- if and when I do, you can bet it will be receiving a PCCM +
I like your article! So true... I think this is a great solution for all classic cars enthusiasts who want to keep the vintage look intact while adapting to today’s needs.