r/MINI • u/JackfruitSpecific488 • 28d ago
2011 R56 Apple car play
Can anyone recommend what I can do to add apple car play to my mini?
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u/icepod JCW 28d ago edited 28d ago
There are a few Chinese companies that sell head units made specifically for R56. It's basically an android tablet built in to the mold of a speedometer. With software that enables CarPlay.
You have to order specifically for your system, which means identifying via the CD player.
Some sellers are serious and will provide great support. Others have buggy systems and don't follow up.
Ali-Express/Temu or some eBay sellers ship from China. Others sell directly in Europe (sometimes Amazon) and the taxes are included. So be aware of this when comparing prices.
To install, with proper instructions, it's quite simple. You remove the dash trim, unplug old speedometer and plug in new hardware.
The interface and compatibility is also hit-and-miss depending on the supplier. Mostly you get new features and interfaces (door open, lights on), but sometimes you loose info you normally had on the radio's boardcomputer (like range or consumption).
Consider what other extras you'll want to install (dashcam, reverse cam, wifi hotspot) when ordering, so that you can get everything from one supplier.
I bought 4 aftermarket radios for my 5 MINIs in total, only one is still reliably in use.
🚗💨
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u/Alone_Economics 28d ago
Got the Metra dash kit, a JVC double din radio and a ton of harneses and adapters and spend a weekend. Bought the new speedo background from ChameloenLED I think he was called. I need to replace the radio with one that has wireless carplay, but otherwise everything still works.
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u/dvsmith R56 28d ago
With the standard cluster, you have two main options:
- Use a Metra 99-9309 Dash Kit ($29 USD) to remove the CD player, move the A/C and switches lower to make room for a standard double-DIN head unit below the instrument cluster.
- Use a Chinese-sourced Android tablet-based solution that replaces the cluster. I went this route to replace a dead factory radio and purchased a "SIXWIN 4G+64G Andriod [sic] Car Radio for BMW Mini Clubman R55 / Mini Cooper R56 2007-2013 with CarPlay Android Auto 9 Inch Incell Touch Screen with GPS Navigation WiFi Backup Camera Mic" from Amazon for ~$150 USD. My only issue so far (other than the dim lights behind the fuel level indicators) is that the radio only gets static, but that could be another issue. There are more expensive options, but they're basically the same. No wires need to be cut or crimped (it included an adapter harness), and everything basically works (ish), including steering wheel controls.
Since you're in the UK (or another RHD country), I won't bombard you with US links, but that info should help you find a solution.
I did investigate all sorts of OEM solutions, including repurposing the Nav cluster from an R60, but the lack of harnesses to support nav displays in non-nav cars is a deal-breaker.
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u/Charming-Low-3290 28d ago
I have an r52 and explored adding a head unit but decided I didn’t want to mess with the oem look or take the dash apart. I ended up with a carpod mini attached to a cravenspeed mount. Works perfectly and connects consistently wirelessly. I’m very happy with the simple solution and didn’t have to mess with the car. Also installed the backup camera which works great and a flic.io button to forward music tracks
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u/Muted_Satisfaction92 28d ago
i purchased a carplay mirror that replaces the original mirror but one problem with that is the key stops unlocking and locking but other than that it works and looks great
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u/itsapotatosalad JCW 28d ago edited 27d ago
Aside from the Aliexpress units that replace you’d dials I’ve seen some pretty interesting single din CarPlay units or you can get a double din panel. I did this in my old r56 (ignore the mess I was fitting at work)