RE: Ferrari future proofs its used fleet

[Steve12NG]

black11s said:

I made the mistake of fitting the same Clarion unit to my TVR T350 about 2 years ago out of pure desperation for a sat nav (I have no sense of direction). It broke after 9 months, and Amazon refunded it.
Refusing to learn from my mistakes, I replaced it with the Philips version of the same system, which was £200 cheaper and marginally less awful (bought from Halfords, yes!).

So now I have a 360 Modena, and unlike some of you I appear to be a bit of a wuss as I find an exhaust note a bit tedious after listening to it for 40 minutes in traffic or at a constant 50mph on the M25.

...and of course I still have an atrocious sense of direction.

So, in an attempt to turn this thread into something Pistonheads didn't want, i.e. a useful piece of information for owners rather than a blatant advert, what should I fit???

The Becker unit fitted was rubbish in 2001 when the car was new.
A flip out screen is clearly not the way to go because of the vents (even a blind monkey could tell you that).
There is a Parott system that has a small screen that mimics your phone, so can display Google maps, but apparently (at least the last time I looked) the software was so poor it crashed every 15 minutes, and something like 85% had been returned under warranty.

The Kenwood and Alpine systems are again flip out screens and cost a fortune and are multi part units (i.e. the sat nave has to be located elsewhere in the car).

What would be ideal is a single DIN unit that has an LCD screen covering 90% of the front of the unit. How hard could this be?

I also saw a Philips one that has a spring out clip for an iPhone, so that its conveniently held for you. Only problem is that its now outdated as Apple changed plugs, I use a Samsung, and most of all, it may work in a Vectra but it would fly off at the first enthusiastically taken roundabout.


Over to you PH'ers...

Wow! It only took five pages to get to a sensible post. Some of the criticism towards PH for running this piece is utterly ridiculous.

I too don't like this "solution" from Ferrari but I would be interested in a decent satnav option for my 355, possibly with Bluetooth as well. Couldn't care less about a camera or DAB though.

The idea of sticking a cheap unit on the windscreen or dash which will probably fall off at the first corner is not very appealing

As for using your phone as a stand alone nav system? I've tried it a few times. It is very difficult and probably, frankly, unsafe.

If I could pipe the voice directions through the speakers or something that may be ok, but I would really prefer to see a map if possible.

[dudleybloke]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/191123634237?limghl...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/380762065458?limghl...

[toppstuff]

Steve12NG said:

Wow! It only took five pages to get to a sensible post. Some of the criticism towards PH for running this piece is utterly ridiculous.

I too don't like this "solution" from Ferrari but I would be interested in a decent satnav option for my 355, possibly with Bluetooth as well. Couldn't care less about a camera or DAB though.

The idea of sticking a cheap unit on the windscreen or dash which will probably fall off at the first corner is not very appealing

As for using your phone as a stand alone nav system? I've tried it a few times. It is very difficult and probably, frankly, unsafe.

If I could pipe the voice directions through the speakers or something that may be ok, but I would really prefer to see a map if possible.

I think the responses are not ridiculous - they are in proportion to how rubbish this "solution" is IMO. It is just a rebadge of a tech you can get at Halfords for a few hundred quid. Its just not good enough.

This is Ferrari. Supposedly the ultimate sports cars.

If Ferrari are to sanction a solution deserving of the ridiculous hyperbole in the PH "advertorial", then they should have done a better job than putting a label on something that looks ridiculous and obscures the air vents.

Something like this, as suggested earlier in the thread, where Ferrari could replace one of the clocks in the instrument cluster with a LCD display. Now THAT would be worth paying several thousand pounds for..

[Mario149]

I can't be the only one that's just stuck a tom tom to the windscreen. Frankly, in built sat navs for cars have always struck me as a joke. They're invariably no longer cutting edge by the time the car is released, and by the time the car is decently into the second hand market they look ridiculous. I've never understood why manufacturers couldn't simply licence software from Tom Tom that would display on the screen, store it on a "black box" that can be removed by the owner and software updated at will by connecting to a laptop (but can't be copied to sort piracy issue), black box could have an sd card to store maps, car is inherently future proofed ( or as best as can be), job jobbed

[toppstuff]

dudleybloke said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/191123634237?limghl...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/380762065458?limghl...

They are cool. Like them.

[Craikeybaby]

Mario149 said:

I can't be the only one that's just stuck a tom tom to the windscreen. Frankly, in built sat navs for cars have always struck me as a joke. They're invariably no longer cutting edge by the time the car is released, and by the time the car is decently into the second hand market they look ridiculous. I've never understood why manufacturers couldn't simply licence software from Tom Tom that would display on the screen, store it on a "black box" that can be removed by the owner and software updated at will by connecting to a laptop (but can't be copied to sort piracy issue), black box could have an sd card to store maps, car is inherently future proofed ( or as best as can be), job jobbed

Some manufacturers do license the software from TomTom.

[Steve12NG]

Mario149 said:

I can't be the only one that's just stuck a tom tom to the windscreen. Frankly, in built sat navs for cars have always struck me as a joke. They're invariably no longer cutting edge by the time the car is released, and by the time the car is decently into the second hand market they look ridiculous. I've never understood why manufacturers couldn't simply licence software from Tom Tom that would display on the screen, store it on a "black box" that can be removed by the owner and software updated at will by connecting to a laptop (but can't be copied to sort piracy issue), black box could have an sd card to store maps, car is inherently future proofed ( or as best as can be), job jobbed

You make a good point. I'm now beginning to think that buying a decent Tom Tom or similar is probably the way to go, as long as it can be mounted unobtrusively and will stay attached during spirited driving.

Allows the car to stay as original as possible but does the job I want it to do.

[Mario149]

Steve12NG said:

You make a good point. I'm now beginning to think that buying a decent Tom Tom or similar is probably the way to go, as long as it can be mounted unobtrusively and will stay attached during spirited driving.

Allows the car to stay as original as possible but does the job I want it to do.

Quite. Never had a problem with the Tom Tom in my 355 or 550 in the twisties. I also quite like the fact that it's a separate entity to the car that can be packed away as necessary keeping the interior "clean" and of its era rather than having some touchscreen headunit monstrosity from the 10s standing out like a sore thumb in a car who's design is 20 years older.

[Paul O]

Flip screen rubbish doesn't look very OEM to me. Halfords could retrofit one of those to anything.

Was expecting an updated DAB replica of the original radios to be honest.

Why do they have to bin analogue? Just leave it alone. DAB is great for choice selection but in the car, FM is perfectly fine.

Or mandate all new cars must have DAB and set a switch off in ten years time. The majority of current cars on sale don't even have DAB!!

[topless360]

I bought one of these of eBay for £10, sticks to the windscreen, iphone runs my SatNav, no problems at all with it falling off. It's a simple but very effective solution and doesn't look ghastly or cost £2000:

[soad]

[redacted]

[FlossyThePig]

Craikeybaby said:

Mario149 said:

I can't be the only one that's just stuck a tom tom to the windscreen. Frankly, in built sat navs for cars have always struck me as a joke. They're invariably no longer cutting edge by the time the car is released, and by the time the car is decently into the second hand market they look ridiculous. I've never understood why manufacturers couldn't simply licence software from Tom Tom that would display on the screen, store it on a "black box" that can be removed by the owner and software updated at will by connecting to a laptop (but can't be copied to sort piracy issue), black box could have an sd card to store maps, car is inherently future proofed ( or as best as can be), job jobbed

Some manufacturers do license the software from TomTom.

That satnav in my car uses Navteq maps, as used by Garmin. Navteq is owned by Nokia, which is why they can supply free satnav on their phones, and it is not included in the mobile sale to Microsoft.

[jayemm89]

I am shocked nobody has mentioned Porsche's solution for the same problem

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/924-931-944-...

Looks much more in-keeping with the vehicle, is clearly a custom unit and costs (if memory serves) half what Ferrari are asking.

[Zod]

Mario149 said:

I can't be the only one that's just stuck a tom tom to the windscreen. Frankly, in built sat navs for cars have always struck me as a joke. They're invariably no longer cutting edge by the time the car is released, and by the time the car is decently into the second hand market they look ridiculous. I've never understood why manufacturers couldn't simply licence software from Tom Tom that would display on the screen, store it on a "black box" that can be removed by the owner and software updated at will by connecting to a laptop (but can't be copied to sort piracy issue), black box could have an sd card to store maps, car is inherently future proofed ( or as best as can be), job jobbed

The system on our X5 is not as up to date as the very latest BMW system, as it dates back to the mid-life facelift in 2010, but it is better than any add-on system by a huge margin (Google Maps, ability to add routes by USB or over the air from BMW, huge screen, control through the iDrive controller). The system in the Aston is a rather different matter....

[rohrl]

golfer19 said:

I think the whole car looks a bit Halfords.
Not a fan of those carbon side skirts or the gold wheels for that matter.

The gold wheels are just a matter of taste but the black side skirts make it look like a half-finished crash repair.

My brother had one of those slide-out head units. In his SEAT Ibiza Cupra in about 1998.

[toppstuff]

jayemm89 said:

I am shocked nobody has mentioned Porsche's solution for the same problem

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/924-931-944-...

Looks much more in-keeping with the vehicle, is clearly a custom unit and costs (if memory serves) half what Ferrari are asking.

Now THAT is how you do it.

Ferrari should be embarrassed at their tatty offering. So should PH be, for promoting it..

[j3gme]

Fit this today has all speed cameras on it, and can be folded back when not in use

[Terminator X]

"Also on this car are carbon-fibre sills and kick plates (£9,173)"

Different world

TX.

[OwenK]

j3gme said:

Fit this today has all speed cameras on it, and can be folded back when not in use

Nicely integrated solution but surely that's a rubbish place for a sat nav screen?!