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64 911 tech: in-car entertainment
Porsche
Classic radio
Short of spending an awful lot of money with
the world’s finest in-car audio specialists, there
aren’t many ways you could improve on a current
911’s hi-fi set-up, especially if you’d ticked that
Burmester box. It’s another matter when it
comes to earlier models though, and while said
specialists can provide all manner of options, a
simpler approach may be Porsche’s own Classic
Radio Navigation System. Costing around £1,000,
it fits into the dashboard’s single-DIN slot and
provides a radio and the ability to hook up to
external music sources such as smartphones and
iPods. It also features a small but high-definition
navigation display, and can be integrated with
factory sound systems and amplifiers. Available
for models from the F-series to 993, it’s an option
worth considering.
Even the arrival of the 996 and the Porsche
Communication Management (PCM) system didn’t
change the essential package all that much, with
some combination of a radio, cassette player or
optional CD player providing the musical mainstay.
Times and technology were changing, though, and
Porsche recognised that charging extra for improved
hi-fi systems was not just a useful revenue stream,
but matched the changing tastes of buyers, many
demanding more comfort and luxury along with the
scintillating performance. To that end, the 996 offered
the likes of the optional Porsche Sound Package
that delivered separate speakers to handle high-,
low- and mid-range frequencies, along with multichannel
amplification. And the optional Digital Sound
Processing system even allowed drivers to tune the
sound to match their mood and preference. Wanted the
cabin to deliver music as if in a concert hall, recording
studio or jazz cellar? No problem. Essentially it
marked the beginning of an audio revolution for 911
owners, one that saw Porsche pay far greater attention
to the matter of in-car entertainment.
The arrival of the 997 – in 2004, no less – finally
condemned the cassette player to history, and with
the
Gen2 the PCM system was becoming ever-
sophisticated. Not only could it play both
more
CDs and DVDs, but there was also the option of a
TV
tuner, and for those with more money to spend
the temptation of the Bose surround sound system.
Developed specially for the 911, it boasted 385 watts
of power, an active sub-woofer and a seven-channel
amplifier with the sounds delivered through 13
speakers – Cabriolet and Targa models had to make
do with 12. There was even a ‘Noise Compensation
System’ that used a microphone in the cabin to
monitor ambient noise and adjust the sound levels
accordingly. It certainly made for a very fast and
superb-handling concert hall. It was a pattern that
continued into the 991, Sound Package Plus providing
the standard offering with a not-unreasonable 235
watts of musical power, although a CD changer was
still optional. But alongside the impressive Bose
system, there was a new temptation on the options
list: the Burmester High-End Surround Sound System.
Costing £2,986, it boasted a dozen speakers that
were specially designed for the 911, the items also
saving weight over conventional offerings. And that’s
pretty much where the musical journey ends today,
the 992 offering broadly the same choice, although in
the spirit of continuous improvement Porsche has
seen fit to increase the speaker count, add a separate
300-watt subwoofer amplifier and boost power output
overall to an ear-splitting 855 watts. If you’re faced
with a long journey and aren’t in the mood for the flat
six’s high-rev theatrics, it’s nice to know there’s an
alternative way to stir the senses.
“The arrival of the 997 – in 2004, no less – finally
condemned the cassette player to history”