Porsche CarPlay retrofit: PCM 3.1 and PCM 4.0 (911, Cayenne, Macan, Panamera)

Porsche is the simplest brand in the catalogue. There are two systems, they look nothing alike, and telling them apart takes about three seconds.

That is unusual — BMW has five generations, Audi has six. Porsche has PCM 3.1 and PCM 4.0.

Which one do you have?

	PCM 3.1	PCM 4.0
Years	~2009–2016	2017 onwards
Screen	7", surrounded by physical buttons	12", almost no buttons
Interface	Older, list-based	Modern tiles, swipe gestures
Cars	Cayenne, Panamera, Macan, 911, Boxster, Cayman	911 (992), Panamera (971), Cayenne (9YA), Macan (95B), 718
Module	PCM 3.1 — €239	PCM 4.0 — €359

If your dashboard has a small screen framed by a grid of hard buttons, you have PCM 3.1. If it has a large glass panel with almost nothing around it, you have PCM 4.0.

PCM 3.1 (2009–2016)

This is the generation where retrofitting makes the most obvious sense: these cars have no CarPlay at all and never did.

The PCM 3.1 module adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus AirPlay and Mirror Link for apps that do not run inside CarPlay. Every factory PCM function stays exactly where it was — CarPlay appears as an additional source in the menu.

Installation is plug and play and takes roughly 60–90 minutes. Nothing is cut and nothing is coded.

PCM 4.0 (2017 onwards)

Here the reasoning is different, and worth being precise about.

PCM 4.0 cars usually already have CarPlay — but wired only, and with no Android Auto at all in most markets. So you are not adding CarPlay; you are removing the cable and adding Android Auto.

The PCM 4.0 module (€359) does both, while leaving Online Services, Sport Chrono and the rest of the factory system untouched.

If you drive an iPhone, are happy plugging in a cable, and have no interest in Android Auto — you do not need this module, and we will say so. The honest case for it is wireless convenience plus Android support.

Why the Porsche modules cost more

€239 and €359 against €219 for most of the range. Two reasons.

PCM integrates more deeply with the rest of the car than a mainstream head unit does — Sport Chrono, the drive-mode displays and Online Services all share the same bus, and a module has to sit in that chain without the car objecting.

Second, PCM 4.0 in particular has tighter software checks, the same pattern as BMW MGU. Working within them costs more to develop.

For context on what the alternative costs: the leading German competitor on this search charges €349 for the installation labour alone, module not included.

What stays and what changes

Kept: PCM navigation, radio, Bluetooth telephony, Online Services, Sport Chrono, vehicle settings, reversing camera and parking sensors, Burmester or Bose audio, the factory steering wheel controls.

Added: wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Google Maps and Waze on the factory screen, Spotify through the factory speakers, Siri and Google Assistant. On PCM 3.1 also AirPlay and Mirror Link.

Unchanged: the look. No foreign skin over the Porsche interface — CarPlay is a source you open and close.

Common questions

Does this affect the Burmester system?
No. Audio from CarPlay runs through the factory amplifier and speakers at full quality.

Will it show in the instrument cluster?
CarPlay navigation mirrors to the cluster on cars where factory CarPlay would do the same. On PCM 3.1 cars, which never had CarPlay, the interface stays on the central screen.

Can I fit it myself?
Yes, though the Porsche install is at the longer end — 60 to 90 minutes. Illustrated instructions are included. If you would rather not open a Porsche dashboard yourself, any competent independent specialist can do it.

Does it void the warranty?
No. The module is plugged in, not soldered, and removes without trace. In the EU the manufacturer must show the accessory caused a fault before refusing a claim.

How long is the warranty?
24 months.

Not sure which PCM you have?

Send your VIN to info@oemcarplay.com and we will confirm in writing. Free, usually within 30 minutes.

Or use the vehicle check, or see all Porsche CarPlay modules.