Porsche Boxster S (986) | PH Fleet

The Boxster hails from a time when ICE meant In Car Entertainment - here's how you make it live up to the name

Lots of the sensations and experiences of older cars are great, which is why we love them - but a few are certainly less desirable as well. In an age where we can listen to precisely what we want, when we want, often through exceptionally high-quality speakers in our homes or on our ears, classic car audio just doesn’t cut it. We’ve been spoiled by having such incredible access to podcasts, streams, digital radio and more that FM on its own just won’t do any more. Sometimes single-DIN units are classic and cool, but the Boxster’s was not: ugly, fiddly and unreliable, it had to go.

There was only one person to turn to, in my view: Pete Huet, aka Droopsnootpete in the forum, bossman of Huets The In-Car Specialists in Shoreham, a family-run firm with over 60 years of experience. He did some incredible work on my old 3 Series, and while the Boxster was having a less involved overhaul, there seemed little point going anywhere else.

Pete suggested a Kenwood DMX8021DABS unit, which would bring Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and DAB, plus could hook up to a reversing camera if needed in the future. Given a similar Kenwood system already worked well in my 325ti, it seemed like a no-brainer. Particularly given Huets is one of Kenwood UK’s Pro Installers. That status promises ‘an exceptional experience from first contact to final install - and beyond’, which is obviously encouraging, although from prior experience, I knew the old Porsche was in safe hands.

Because of the Boxster’s dash layout, without the old-school PCM screen, it required an ACV kit to shuffle the air con controls down the dash and make space - that was £50 (£68 retail) on the bill, but obviously impossible without. In 2001, sat nav would have seemed like advanced automotive tech; imagine what they would have made of smartphone mirroring back then…

While the speakers seemed okay on initial inspection, it was decided to replace them as they were rattling a tad (the original tweeters were kept). For those who know more than me about such things, the new parts are Rainbow DLW 5s, which offer four ohms impedance against two as standard. And that was that - head unit and speakers. Clearly, that oversimplifies the task, because a microphone had to be added, as did an aerial for digital radio and a USB for charging, but it’s more to say the Boxster wasn’t crammed full of new subs and amps. It was intended to be a sympathetic upgrade rather than a transformation.

Pete and the Huets team had the car for a day over the Festival of Speed weekend; their work (thank you, Mark and John) really is second to none. And makes my poor old BMW setup look very sad! The Kenwood sits in the dash like it was always meant to be there, the climate controls make more sense lower down, there’s a storage space that fits even XXL phones, and the USB is neatly integrated under the armrest. My expectations were high given what Huets had done before; they surpassed even those.

Heather from Huets talked me around hooking the phone, and it’s dead simple. Choose the Kenwood as the Bluetooth device and - voila - wireless CarPlay in a 2001 Porsche. It hasn’t dropped out, failed to connect or struggled to switch between DAB and smartphone mirroring (as so many OEM systems do) at any point.

Indeed, it’s the best modification so far. By a mile. Siri understands you at 70 mph with the roof down, as do people on the other end of the phone - that novelty certainly hasn’t worn off yet. The speakers have enhanced the experience as well, happier and clearer at higher volumes than the previous pair. If I were to attempt to display any audio knowledge, I’d say the fidelity is greater. Whatever - songs I like can now be listened to at an inappropriate volume without the sense of speakers struggling. And that’s great.

Being able to navigate via a proper display and not a phone on the passenger seat is a real boon, too. Doing it while listening to Dead Ringers is a total joy, to be frank. Adding CarPlay clearly isn’t a performance-enhancing modification; however, it really does encourage using the car more, and it makes every journey more enjoyable. Because, as we’ve become all too used to, the drive can be accompanied by whatever entertainment you’re after.

So it feels worth every penny right now, and means the Boxster ought to be fit for whatever adventures my father-in-law has planned for when I finally return it. Speaking of costs, the visit to Huet’s cost £900. Pete did us a bit of a deal, so you’re looking at about £1,350 for a similar job. With speakers in better condition and not needing replacement, it’d be £1,000 - although the price will obviously vary depending on car and spec. A significant chunk of the car’s value on audio, sure, but it really does hugely enhance the usability and enjoyment of an old car. Not to mention saleability, too, should the time ever come. Just imagine how enjoyable the Boxster will be when everything else is sorted - that should follow next time…

FACT SHEET

Car: 2001 Porsche Boxster S (986)
Run by: Matt Bird
On fleet since: April 2025
Mileage: 61,800
Last month at a glance: I'll take ICE with that

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EV8

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18 months