PCM
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marcusLondon
New member
I don't have it on my 987 but in some ways it is useful. For example the ability to play MP3s on the in-dash cd player is only activated with the PCM, and I think a few of the options on Sportcrono likewise. Equally the phone system. Otherwise why pay £2k for a nav? I hope the price of this option comes down dramatically soon - I've seen quite a Boxsters spec'd without it and I think the reasons are clear. It may go some way to explaining why it's standard on the new Turbo...
Marcus
Marcus
Hi
This is a bit of a hot potato subject, esp on the 997 forum.
IMHO I would think hard about specifying PCM as even the latest verions are about 2-3 yrs out of date, unlike a Tom-Tom which is portable and more up to date.
It is handy to play MP3 discs (but only on MY2005 onwards) and it does offer a more integrated look to the dash (and other ancilliaries such as trip computer) but as a value for money sat-nav system, the Tom-Tom beats it every time.
I had it on my 987S and have it in my current 997S but I have to say I would think twice about speccing it again given the aged data on it.
My wife's new audi S4 has a sat-nav system which is brilliant - shame Porsche can't match their Ingolstadt neighbours![&:]
Rob
This is a bit of a hot potato subject, esp on the 997 forum.
IMHO I would think hard about specifying PCM as even the latest verions are about 2-3 yrs out of date, unlike a Tom-Tom which is portable and more up to date.
It is handy to play MP3 discs (but only on MY2005 onwards) and it does offer a more integrated look to the dash (and other ancilliaries such as trip computer) but as a value for money sat-nav system, the Tom-Tom beats it every time.
I had it on my 987S and have it in my current 997S but I have to say I would think twice about speccing it again given the aged data on it.
My wife's new audi S4 has a sat-nav system which is brilliant - shame Porsche can't match their Ingolstadt neighbours![&:]
Rob
Definitely not worth it - not a patch on the Audi system or many of the portables (prefer my old Magellan Roadmate).
It looks nice in the dash and there are always some people who reckon its a must have (and even try for a retro fit) but I just don't think it makes sense at list prices.
It looks nice in the dash and there are always some people who reckon its a must have (and even try for a retro fit) but I just don't think it makes sense at list prices.
I have PCM in the Cayenne .. Not in the 987 .. in the 987 we run a Garmin C340 ... hate the mess of wires and the windscreen mount...
However C340 has "safety camera" database so have a TALEX in the Cayenne .. .hate the mess of wires ... :-/
For an experiment have ran the PCM against the Garmin C340 and to be honest they shout out within feet of each other and route the same and find the same POI ...... C340 is sub a G... PCM is 2G+
Also have 2 * Garmin Vs... Garmin 76CSX and All the latest OS Maps on Memory Map running on a Dell Axin 51 with a Pretec GPS .. we do Geocaching for fun so have more GPS units than we should...
Tried a Tom Tom 700 once .. sent it back ..it tried to route us up one way streets in wokingham that had been one way for > 15 years and off on Police safety junctions on the M40, M4 and M25.. thing is NONE of the are perfect
However C340 has "safety camera" database so have a TALEX in the Cayenne .. .hate the mess of wires ... :-/
For an experiment have ran the PCM against the Garmin C340 and to be honest they shout out within feet of each other and route the same and find the same POI ...... C340 is sub a G... PCM is 2G+
Also have 2 * Garmin Vs... Garmin 76CSX and All the latest OS Maps on Memory Map running on a Dell Axin 51 with a Pretec GPS .. we do Geocaching for fun so have more GPS units than we should...
Tried a Tom Tom 700 once .. sent it back ..it tried to route us up one way streets in wokingham that had been one way for > 15 years and off on Police safety junctions on the M40, M4 and M25.. thing is NONE of the are perfect
Guest
New member
Totally agree with the above, I had OEM sat nav in my M3 and it was a poor performer, but made the dash visual layout spoton, prior to this I had a Tom Tom Go in an R32 and was a great piece of kit.
When I bought my 987S with the PCM I expected the sat nav to be much better than the BMW one, but it is about the same - old technology.
However the dash looks much better than one without the sat nav and would be much easier to move on come resale time.
My next car (whatever it will be) will NOT be having any OEM sat nav.
Portable sat nav all the way for me [
]
Guest
New member
While I agree that the quality of the Porsche satnav is definitely subpar compared to the portables (7 digit post code search anyone?) and that I am hard pressed to explain the extra expense, I will still spec it again in my next car.
Why? Simply for the dashboard integration advantage. I'm not going to have my Porsche broken into because someone spots the suction cup marks on my windscreen, nor am I fond of bothering to dismount and remount the TomTom all the time.
I also have to say the TMC works in the Porsche system (within its limits!) whereas TMC on a TomTom is unreliable at best, depending on your mobile phone G3 service.
References: The two devices in our household which I compare to each other are the PCM in my 2005 Boxster S (updated in Jan 2006 with the latest software and disk) and a TomTom One, working in conjunction with an Ericsson phone and Vodaphone 3G for TMC.
Why? Simply for the dashboard integration advantage. I'm not going to have my Porsche broken into because someone spots the suction cup marks on my windscreen, nor am I fond of bothering to dismount and remount the TomTom all the time.
I also have to say the TMC works in the Porsche system (within its limits!) whereas TMC on a TomTom is unreliable at best, depending on your mobile phone G3 service.
References: The two devices in our household which I compare to each other are the PCM in my 2005 Boxster S (updated in Jan 2006 with the latest software and disk) and a TomTom One, working in conjunction with an Ericsson phone and Vodaphone 3G for TMC.
elstonc
New member
Paul,
Perhaps if Google have their way with automatic cars, in a few years' time you'll be able to play with your wife while the PCM is driving!
But seriously, I also have a 981 and didn't know you could personalise it like that. I wonder if you have to have the Sport Chrono package to get those features (which I don't). I see you can have straight line acceleration on the "Car" display but can't see the other things you mention. How did you discover them?
Recently drove my 981S from Birmingham to Rome and back, over mountain passes, on the autobahn, etc. Fantastic. And 34mpg average. Amazing.
Chris
Perhaps if Google have their way with automatic cars, in a few years' time you'll be able to play with your wife while the PCM is driving!
But seriously, I also have a 981 and didn't know you could personalise it like that. I wonder if you have to have the Sport Chrono package to get those features (which I don't). I see you can have straight line acceleration on the "Car" display but can't see the other things you mention. How did you discover them?
Recently drove my 981S from Birmingham to Rome and back, over mountain passes, on the autobahn, etc. Fantastic. And 34mpg average. Amazing.
Chris
Hi Chris,
I don't have the Sport Chrono package, and found the info from the iPhone App, Good to Know. Press the Car button on the PCM, then Personal trip data and select what info you want to be displayed.
My drive was rather more boring, straight down the autoroute to near the Spanish border, but cruising at 85 it was returning 38mpg. Probably because I got a bit addicted to the Gliding Mode, discovering on some of the long descents how many miles I could travel without touching the throttle.
I'd be interested in the route you took, as my wife, who still lets me do the touching stuff whilst driving, are thinking of driving across to Italy next year.
Paul
I don't have the Sport Chrono package, and found the info from the iPhone App, Good to Know. Press the Car button on the PCM, then Personal trip data and select what info you want to be displayed.
My drive was rather more boring, straight down the autoroute to near the Spanish border, but cruising at 85 it was returning 38mpg. Probably because I got a bit addicted to the Gliding Mode, discovering on some of the long descents how many miles I could travel without touching the throttle.
I'd be interested in the route you took, as my wife, who still lets me do the touching stuff whilst driving, are thinking of driving across to Italy next year.
Paul
elstonc
New member
Paul,
Thanks for that. I'll give it a try.
As regards our trip, we did the following.
Calais to Troyes. Stayed at Hotel Mercure Troyes Centre, 11 Rue des bas Trevois, Troyes 10000. Hotel is convenient and fairly standard. This is a nice stopover. Worth spending a couple of hours in the old centre of Troyes. Some nice restaurants for evening meal. Dijon is an alternative stopover, with more to see, but a bit further from Calais.
We then stayed a couple of nights near Lake Geneva at friends' house, just above Nyon on the Swiss side. Lots to see there. Enjoy a trip across the lake on one of the paddle steamers but try to choose one with a real steam engine - presuming you're into that kind of thing. If you're going to do Lake Geneva, leave the French autoroute near Poligny and take the road over the Jura, rather than motorway all the way to Geneva, - this will be the first bit of 'nice' road on the trip. Don't forget to buy a Swiss vignette for their motorways at the border post as you'll probably need it at some point.
Then, head west along the motorway on the north side of L Geneva. You can avoid the motorways if you object to buying a vignette but it would take a lot longer. Then head for the Grand St Bernard pass into Italy. (Don't take the Mont Blanc tunnel route, the lorry fumes are dreadful and you don't see anything; the Simplon pass is OK but you can get a few lorries on that route, which cramps your driving style.) If you do the St Bernard, don't take the tunnel near the top but stick with the old road. Your Boxster will like this bit. Check it's open first! This year it opened about the middle of May but the restaurants at the top were still closed at the end of May.
We then headed to an area just south of Genoa called the Cinque Terre. Very picturesque but the motorways in that part of Italy are rather unpleasant and get worse as you near the coast and along it - two lanes and very busy with lorries. An alternative, which we've done previously, is to take the Simplon pass instead and take a look at Lago Maggiore on the Italian side. Stunning. Incidentally, on that occasion, as we drove up the Simplon we spotted a UK registered Bentley Continental in a lay-by and pulled over for a chat with the owners, an English couple who were having a lunchtime barbie and getting totally plastered at the same time. If you want to do Lago Maggiore, I can recommend an hotel - let me know.
Near Cinque Terre, we stayed in a farmhouse B&B, so far off the beaten track and miles along a single track road that I wouldn't recommend it.
We then drove to Tivoli, just east of Rome. We were staying there with a group for a week in an old convent that has been restored by the Landmark Trust (Google Sant' Antonio Landmark Trust, if you're interested). We tried to avoid the motorway for the first half of the very long journey but that was a mistake - should have take the motorway and saved time. Not a very interesting journey from a motoring perspective and I probably wouldn't bother driving south of Tuscany on a future occasion (though Tivoli is a great place with lots to see, and the house was fantastic).
After that, we headed north and spent one night in Bologna. Mrs E found a hotel bang in the centre of the city. Getting in and out of the hotel car park was probably the most challenging bit of the whole trip but I can confirm that the hotel car park is accessible by a 981. Just. If you can't resist the challenge, it's Hotel Accademia, Bologna, Via delle Belle Arti 6, 40126 Bologna. Bologna is a stunning city. One of my favourites in Italy (or anywhere).
On the way there, drive through an area called Mugello. There are some fantastic mountain passes just north of Borgo San Lorenzo, on the way to Bologna. Beautiful countryside and fairly quiet roads. Quite a few bikers use them but they tend not to get in your way! If you decide only to go as far south as Florence or Siena, you can take in this area on your return journey. Mrs E and I plan to go back there.
Then we headed for the Dolomites, South Tyrol - still in Italy but with a lot of Austrian influence. We stayed for a few days at Corvara, which was great, but there are lots of other options. The scenery and roads here are amazing. You could spend all day just doing one mountain pass after another. You simply have to go there. It's a popular area but you won't find the roads so busy as to spoil your driving enjoyment - at least not in early June.
We then headed for Stuttgart to take in the Porsche museum. Its' worth a visit but mainly for car nuts. I'd recommend the MB museum, also in Stuttgart as having more interest for the non-specialist. Stay over and do both!
Of course, you can get a good blast on the Autobahn - the bit your Boxster has really been waiting for.
We then headed for Luxembourg. Stayed overnight, away from the main city. The country areas a very attractive with some very pleasant topdown driving. The whole country is carefully manicured: you can see where Starbucks' corporation tax has been spent.
Then home via Calais!
I hope that gives you some ideas.
Chris
Thanks for that. I'll give it a try.
As regards our trip, we did the following.
Calais to Troyes. Stayed at Hotel Mercure Troyes Centre, 11 Rue des bas Trevois, Troyes 10000. Hotel is convenient and fairly standard. This is a nice stopover. Worth spending a couple of hours in the old centre of Troyes. Some nice restaurants for evening meal. Dijon is an alternative stopover, with more to see, but a bit further from Calais.
We then stayed a couple of nights near Lake Geneva at friends' house, just above Nyon on the Swiss side. Lots to see there. Enjoy a trip across the lake on one of the paddle steamers but try to choose one with a real steam engine - presuming you're into that kind of thing. If you're going to do Lake Geneva, leave the French autoroute near Poligny and take the road over the Jura, rather than motorway all the way to Geneva, - this will be the first bit of 'nice' road on the trip. Don't forget to buy a Swiss vignette for their motorways at the border post as you'll probably need it at some point.
Then, head west along the motorway on the north side of L Geneva. You can avoid the motorways if you object to buying a vignette but it would take a lot longer. Then head for the Grand St Bernard pass into Italy. (Don't take the Mont Blanc tunnel route, the lorry fumes are dreadful and you don't see anything; the Simplon pass is OK but you can get a few lorries on that route, which cramps your driving style.) If you do the St Bernard, don't take the tunnel near the top but stick with the old road. Your Boxster will like this bit. Check it's open first! This year it opened about the middle of May but the restaurants at the top were still closed at the end of May.
We then headed to an area just south of Genoa called the Cinque Terre. Very picturesque but the motorways in that part of Italy are rather unpleasant and get worse as you near the coast and along it - two lanes and very busy with lorries. An alternative, which we've done previously, is to take the Simplon pass instead and take a look at Lago Maggiore on the Italian side. Stunning. Incidentally, on that occasion, as we drove up the Simplon we spotted a UK registered Bentley Continental in a lay-by and pulled over for a chat with the owners, an English couple who were having a lunchtime barbie and getting totally plastered at the same time. If you want to do Lago Maggiore, I can recommend an hotel - let me know.
Near Cinque Terre, we stayed in a farmhouse B&B, so far off the beaten track and miles along a single track road that I wouldn't recommend it.
We then drove to Tivoli, just east of Rome. We were staying there with a group for a week in an old convent that has been restored by the Landmark Trust (Google Sant' Antonio Landmark Trust, if you're interested). We tried to avoid the motorway for the first half of the very long journey but that was a mistake - should have take the motorway and saved time. Not a very interesting journey from a motoring perspective and I probably wouldn't bother driving south of Tuscany on a future occasion (though Tivoli is a great place with lots to see, and the house was fantastic).
After that, we headed north and spent one night in Bologna. Mrs E found a hotel bang in the centre of the city. Getting in and out of the hotel car park was probably the most challenging bit of the whole trip but I can confirm that the hotel car park is accessible by a 981. Just. If you can't resist the challenge, it's Hotel Accademia, Bologna, Via delle Belle Arti 6, 40126 Bologna. Bologna is a stunning city. One of my favourites in Italy (or anywhere).
On the way there, drive through an area called Mugello. There are some fantastic mountain passes just north of Borgo San Lorenzo, on the way to Bologna. Beautiful countryside and fairly quiet roads. Quite a few bikers use them but they tend not to get in your way! If you decide only to go as far south as Florence or Siena, you can take in this area on your return journey. Mrs E and I plan to go back there.
Then we headed for the Dolomites, South Tyrol - still in Italy but with a lot of Austrian influence. We stayed for a few days at Corvara, which was great, but there are lots of other options. The scenery and roads here are amazing. You could spend all day just doing one mountain pass after another. You simply have to go there. It's a popular area but you won't find the roads so busy as to spoil your driving enjoyment - at least not in early June.
We then headed for Stuttgart to take in the Porsche museum. Its' worth a visit but mainly for car nuts. I'd recommend the MB museum, also in Stuttgart as having more interest for the non-specialist. Stay over and do both!
Of course, you can get a good blast on the Autobahn - the bit your Boxster has really been waiting for.
We then headed for Luxembourg. Stayed overnight, away from the main city. The country areas a very attractive with some very pleasant topdown driving. The whole country is carefully manicured: you can see where Starbucks' corporation tax has been spent.
Then home via Calais!
I hope that gives you some ideas.
Chris
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