A few months ago, I never considered myself a big 911 fan. But a few of my friends at work are. And so I started paying attention.

And now I find myself actually considering one of these beasts and probably will order one soon. The performance capabilities of the 911 Turbo are so ... well .... mind-numbing?

My current drive is a 650i. Leaving it means leaving a few conveniences that while acceptable in the trade-off will still be hard to take in a car that will be 2x the price. So I am wondering what folks here do in terms of after-market replacements... or what you may know of Porsche's plans in the near term as options:

- Bluetooth for interfacing to my phone. I see that Porsche does have some kind of mobile phone option. But how does that work? Does one need to get an entirely separate line for the car phone? Is there a SIM swap facility -- so one can at least reuse the same line? With the BMW I can be in the middle of conversation hands-free, shut-off the car, and keep talking on the phone w/o hanging up. Contacts on the phone sync to the car so you can dial by selecting from a list. It would be nice if such a feature were imminent.

- iPod interface. The BMW iDrive is unstable and slow, but at least it has an OK interface to an iPod. I see that the 997s are now using a MOST bus and a CD changer which seems to be the same part BMW uses. Since the iPod interface on the 650i intergates with a MOST bus via the CD changer, this seems like it would be a no-brainer to offer.

 

There is an aftermarket device called the Dension 500 which performs both bluetooth and ipod integration into the factory radio.

IIRC it runs about 600$

 

Porsche offers a Phone Module for PCM option, which I have in my car. It doesn't use Bluetooth, instead it has a complete phone built-in and integrated in the car. It does need the driver to insert their SIM card in the center console to use the Phone Module for PCM.

I guess in Europe and other countries, it is common for phone company to issue a secondary SIM card, so the drivers can insert and leave the secondary SIM card in the Phone Module for PCM, and use it anytime.

However, in the US, my phone carrier (Cingular) told me that I would need to open a second line in order to get another SIM card. A little inconvenient.

But once the SIM is in the Phone Module for PCM, it works wonderfully. I guess the phone antenna is integrated with the car, so the reception is perfect (I feel it is even better than using my own phone in my car).

The sound is also wonderful. When I call people from my car, I keep asking them if they can tell I am in a car and how is the sound. They all say they can't tell and the sound is loud&clear.

The operation is great but lacks voice control operation. There are phone information displays on a small LCD screen under the speedometer and a large LCD screen in the center console. There are controls to use the phone in the center console and in a stalk next to the steering wheel. That means I can keep my hands on wheel and eyes on road when I use/dial/answer the phone.

It also automatically mutes the radio/cd/nav when I use the phone.

I think the Phone Module for PCM option costs about one thousands dollars (I forgot the exact price). Would I recommend it? Well, yes, if we don't mind the cost and getting a secondary SIM card. It might not be as user friendly as other car company's phone opton, but its sound/reception is top notch.

Just my experience.

With best regards,

 

You can also buy a prepaid SIM card or even a device for $19.95 that will duplicate your SIM card. http://www.myworldphone.com/prepaidsim.html

 

Thank you. What a thorough response. This sounds acceptable. Does center console provide some sort of slot for the SIM? Or is this really a rare one-time only opreation to get a SIM in there?

 

Thank you for the suggestion. I have heard of these guys. I was hoping there might have been some other option folks have used. There is a huge thread referring to them that I will take a close look at here.

My concern about Dension is that
1) finding a local dealer looks daunting; so this is probably a DIY and I don't feel like I could take apart a dash to install something like this myself and be confident I wouldn't do a lot of cosmetic damage.
2) The company seems flaky. They promised for months and months a unit was just around the corner for a 650i MOST bus and I don't know if it ever showed up.

-dave

 

Yes, the center console provides a slot for the SIM, and we can insert the SIM card there as often as we would like. We can also insert any SIM card (like if my wife drives the car she can insert her phone's SIM card).

When inserting the SIM, the center display will even show a picture of a SIM card to assist which side of the SIM card should face up when inserting. After inserting the SIM, it takes just a few seconds and the Phone Module for PCM will search the cell network. It will then display how many bars the reception is (just like my cell phone display).

P.S. Also, just like my cell phone, the Phone Module for PCM also allows me to send Text Message from my car. Also receive Text Message. I once was driving, suddenly from my center console it displayed my wife's Text Message "Where are U?" I am not kidding

With best regards,

 

Good information, thanks! I will defiinitely check it out. That solves the secondary SIM problem, and it will make the Phone Module for PCM a great phone option

With best regards,

 

We are a primary US distributor for the Dension Gateway500 IceLink unit for Porsche, and an add-on Bluetooth module is about to be released.

Email me anytime with questions: eric@bumperplugs.com

List is $599, we have it on sale right now for $479.

 

With the sim card duplicator,

Does that mean you can have both your cell phone and your car on at the same time? Or do you have to shut one down?

Does anyone know how this works?

B

 

My guess is the phones would be "confused" if both were on at the same time.

 

Rather the network would be confused and potentially shut your number down (temporarily)