If you've ever wanted to integrate your iPod with your car
stereo, you may soon have that option - if you have a BMW. Apple
and BMW have apparently been working together to develop a kit that
attaches to the audio system in BMW's. This kit allows you to place
your iPod in a special holder in the glove box and then control the
iPod from the controls on the stereo or on the steering wheel.
The drawback to this is that you don't get the iPod's interface
on the stereo, so you don't know how much further a song has to go,
and you don't get the track information, either. While I'm sure the
iPod is quite safe in it's place in the glove box, this seems to be
a less than elegant solution, especially given that a BMW is
considered a luxury car and Apple products are usually thought of
in the same category when it comes to computers and technology.
Which BMW's can use this new kit? Probably not yours. The older
models, like my 1987 325, are definitely out. And so are most of
the newer models! It appears that only the 2002 model year and
newer 3 series, X3, and Z4 can have this $235 kit installed. (It is
BMW, no one said it was going to be reasonably priced.)
If you just spent $70,000+ on one of the new 6 series coupes,
you might just be out of luck. If that's you, or you have an older
BMW (or any other car for that matter), what can you do if you want
to connect your iPod to your stereo?
There are a number of options. One option that I like is the
cassette adapter, which works great for other units as well (a CD
Discman, for example). This simply goes into your cassette player,
starts playing - and the music playing on your iPod comes out of
the car's stereo speakers. Often on these, the wire going to the
device comes out of the left side of the adapter, so if your
cassette player loads tapes in such a way that the left side isn't
on the outside, you might want to try something like a portable FM
transmitter. This would mean something like the iTrip,
which sends a signal to your FM radio and actually broadcasts the
music playing on your iPod directly to your radio.
This is excellent if you've got a car that doesn't have a
cassette player or an auxiliary input on the back of the head unit.
If you do have an input for another device, you may just be able to
plug your iPod directly into the stereo head unit.
For instance, the Blaupunkt Miami CD127 stereo in my BMW has
such an input. All I had to do was connect the iPod and select the
sound source on the front of the stereo. As for finding a safe
place for the iPod once it's connected, look around for a shelf or
small storage bin somewhere in the center console. My BMW has a
shelf right below the stereo and heat and vent controls that fit
the iPod perfectly.
When it comes to controlling the iPod - getting to the next song
or previous one - I find it just as easy as reaching over to adjust
the volume on the radio. And if you're really worried, just wait
until you're at a stop before switching songs.
While it sounds really nice to have an official solution for
using your iPod in the car, in this case it's really not much
better than the unofficial solutions - and it's certainly a lot
more expensive. If you've got the right car and the cash, go ahead,
but if not, there are several alternatives that will accomplish the
same thing: to allow you to listen to the music on your iPod
through your car's audio system.
