DB11 facelift/update?
Discussion
The screen comments roll on and on! It’s funny as I don’t recall any previous gen owners moaning about using Apple CarPlay in their cars, and I would assume to get the full benefit, the foldable screen needs to be open in order to see the apps etc? So (sorry NFC, I know you’re a bit touchy on this, amongst other things lately) why the gripes about the latest screen offering? Is it fair to say it looks like it was literally a straight swap out of a MB interior, and was perhaps a little lazy of AM to do so? The DBX shows what can be done, and it looks much better integrated. The twin (digital) instrument dials look classier, are easier to read, and the reverse rev counter has the nostalgic effect too. Surely these elements will appear in the whole current range soon, costs permitting of course. To the uneducated, ie me, it seems a simple fix and should hopefully appease some of the die hards.
Best Regards
Minglar
Best Regards
Minglar
Funny how most comments about the lack of or low tech of the recent Aston line up is about Apple Car Play and the center infotainment screen. That was not what i was thinking of at all. My issue was more how a proper GT car doesn’t have adaptive cruise control, hazard braking, rear wheel steering or other safety/driver aids which a common in any sub 100k car.
RMDB9 said:
Maybe I am missing something here. What is Apple Car Play?
I have Apple Carplay on my Range Rover. Excellent bit of kit. Bluetooth phone calls are not new, but text message receive/reply are (relatively speaking), especially if you use other messaging apps.The point is that if the basic model of a Ford or BMW includes these features why would an Aston not ?
pschlute said:
RMDB9 said:
Maybe I am missing something here. What is Apple Car Play?
I have Apple Carplay on my Range Rover. Excellent bit of kit. Bluetooth phone calls are not new, but text message receive/reply are (relatively speaking), especially if you use other messaging apps.The point is that if the basic model of a Ford or BMW includes these features why would an Aston not ?
Beckson said:
but the vast majority of AM owners probably do have 3+ cars....
maybe not everybody on here does, but statistically, I bet it's more like 4-5 cars for the average new AML buyer.
Maybe in the U.K. but certainly not worldwide where cat ownership is taxed differently. It’s far too easy, as I said earlier to base your own ideas on what a car should be on your own experiences and own market. maybe not everybody on here does, but statistically, I bet it's more like 4-5 cars for the average new AML buyer.
I have carplay in the AMi III system fitted in my car, and to be honest I never use it. Tinkered for a few days once the system was updated to include it and then decided it was a waste of time and didn't add any real value to my driving enjoyment. Haven't used it since...
The trouble with tech like this is it dates easily, and soon becomes incompatible with the latest phones / operating systems. That's OK in a car like a fiesta that will likely be crushed in a few years anyway, but in something that will hopefully last for generations to come as an iconic car, I think its not such a great idea.
The trouble with tech like this is it dates easily, and soon becomes incompatible with the latest phones / operating systems. That's OK in a car like a fiesta that will likely be crushed in a few years anyway, but in something that will hopefully last for generations to come as an iconic car, I think its not such a great idea.
pschlute said:
The point is that if the basic model of a Ford or BMW includes these features why would an Aston not ?
Yes indeed. If you took the technology specification of a Ford or a Peugeot etc including infotainment and driver aids and then costed out how much that kit would cost on an Aston (if available at all) or on a Porsche the cost would be considerable. The problem here is that people generally upgrade from something of that kind of level at some point in their driving career and the last thing they expect is a step back in capability as the price goes up. For me it isn't so much whether my 2020 Aston does or doesn't have AppleCarPlay. Sure, it would be nice to have it but it isn't some deal breaker if it isn't part of the kit. What is annoying with the current crop of AM sports cars is the tacky plastic framed screen plopped in the middle of the dash. I'd much rather have a smaller circa 2006 screen buried lower in the facia. The large screen also has terrible graphics which cheapen the car. Add to this the lack of basic sports car kit like auto high beams etc.... and the interior feels like a let down.
This is a shame because much of the interior is fantastic. The leather smells great, the seats are very comfortable and the actual front cluster of speedometer and tach is really good and focused. I do worry that the refresh will be a MB-ization of the car. I'd hate to see the same big sloping screen now being introduced on the next generation Mercedes. If that's the case I'd worry about AM's future.
This is a shame because much of the interior is fantastic. The leather smells great, the seats are very comfortable and the actual front cluster of speedometer and tach is really good and focused. I do worry that the refresh will be a MB-ization of the car. I'd hate to see the same big sloping screen now being introduced on the next generation Mercedes. If that's the case I'd worry about AM's future.
AdamV12V said:
I have carplay in the AMi III system fitted in my car, and to be honest I never use it. Tinkered for a few days once the system was updated to include it and then decided it was a waste of time and didn't add any real value to my driving enjoyment. Haven't used it since...
The trouble with tech like this is it dates easily, and soon becomes incompatible with the latest phones / operating systems. That's OK in a car like a fiesta that will likely be crushed in a few years anyway, but in something that will hopefully last for generations to come as an iconic car, I think its not such a great idea.
But that’s the whole idea of CarPlay and android auto that the tech doesn’t date. It’s kept up to date with each phone refresh and the screen in the car is in essence just a dumb terminal. If they could engineer it to be able to control HVAC functions the wholesale adoption of CarPlay/auto would allow the dumping of proprietary systems which is the whole foundation of your argument of tech dating The trouble with tech like this is it dates easily, and soon becomes incompatible with the latest phones / operating systems. That's OK in a car like a fiesta that will likely be crushed in a few years anyway, but in something that will hopefully last for generations to come as an iconic car, I think its not such a great idea.
RMDB9 said:
...until Apple decides to replace Car Pay with a new "ecosystem".
None of that matters if your screen is just a mirror screen you should be able to display anything on it. Like most things there are 100s of objections about why it won’t work just like electric or anything else whereas in reality if the manufacturers just went for it wholesale and stopped making proprietary stuff it would actually bring down the development costs by a chunk that could be used to do other things.If you read lots of the posts on here about any technology, about electric and hydrogen, the “who is cool?” Thread and lots of others it becomes very clear that the average pistonheader is upper middle aged and british based amongst other things and unfortunately these days that is not the target market for car manufacturers like AM etc so the PH view of the world is out of step.
Viahuerto said:
For me it isn't so much whether my 2020 Aston does or doesn't have AppleCarPlay. Sure, it would be nice to have it but it isn't some deal breaker if it isn't part of the kit. What is annoying with the current crop of AM sports cars is the tacky plastic framed screen plopped in the middle of the dash. I'd much rather have a smaller circa 2006 screen buried lower in the facia.
- cough*
AdamV12V said:
The trouble with tech like this is it dates easily, and soon becomes incompatible with the latest phones / operating systems. That's OK in a car like a fiesta that will likely be crushed in a few years anyway, but in something that will hopefully last for generations to come as an iconic car, I think its not such a great idea.
An extremely good point Adam.
Indeed it has already been complained about on here, when the following comment was made.
'My latest Aston Martin is fitted with the old version of the Mercedes-Benz infotainment system.'
RMDB9 said:
A brilliant idea I had voiced earlier:
What about a "no ICE" option for AM cars?
If they make it expensive enough, I guess some people will want it.
Porsche tried that with some of its GT cars and the vast majority ended up with it optioned back in and those without it struggle to sell What about a "no ICE" option for AM cars?
If they make it expensive enough, I guess some people will want it.
I love the solution proposed in the valhalla concept - see 5min 50 onwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2MhMwkCI3w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2MhMwkCI3w
RMDB9 said:
...until Apple decides to replace Car Pay with a new "ecosystem".
But why would they? Apple IOS has a significantly lower market share vs Android. They need to grow market share. Yes I know they kept changing the connector type, but that was a low cost (but annoying) option to buyers. Changing eco system would kill Apple.Or just buy Android and use Android Auto in the first place
craigjm said:
RMDB9 said:
A brilliant idea I had voiced earlier:
What about a "no ICE" option for AM cars?
If they make it expensive enough, I guess some people will want it.
Porsche tried that with some of its GT cars and the vast majority ended up with it optioned back in and those without it struggle to sell What about a "no ICE" option for AM cars?
If they make it expensive enough, I guess some people will want it.
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