Even classic Porsche drivers get lost, though they would be the last to admit it. So to help them avoid having to ask for directions, Porsche has developed a thoroughly modern update for its vintage cars, and designed it to look like it was supposed to be there all along.
The Porsche Classic division of the Stuttgart automaker has created a combination audio and navigation system using a 3.5-inch screen that installs in the dashboard of air-cooled 911s from 1964 through the mid-‘90s, in all 914s and in early front-engine cars. The unit replaces the standard radio.
“Thanks to the appearance of the black surface and the shape of the knobs, which are supplied in two authentically styled versions as standard, the navigation radio blends harmoniously into the dashboard of classic Porsche models,” Porsche says in a news release.
Porsche, which said it designed the system in response to “the growing demand for a built-in device for classic sports cars,” noted that the navigation radio is equipped with the key features of modern systems.
“In addition to low-interference radio reception and precise navigation, it has interfaces for a variety of external music sources that can be controlled from the display,” according to Porsche. “A smartphone can be connected via Bluetooth. In addition, the classic radio not only has a built-in microphone but also comes with an external microphone.”
For the navigation system, the news release says, “Drivers have a choice of arrows and two-dimensional or three-dimensional maps to display the route. The maps are stored on a micro SD card with eight gigabytes of memory and are updated regularly.”
The Porsche Classic navigation radio, which is available in Germany, is undergoing testing for the U.S. market. Availability and pricing will be determined upon completion of testing, Porsche said.
More information about Porsche Classic is available on the automaker’s website.
