CarPlay Interface for BMW Z4 E89: how to install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

The BMW Z4 E89 is the roadster that swapped the fabric roof for a retractable aluminium hardtop, turning it into a convertible you can use all year round. sDrive 20i, 23i, 28i, 30i and 35i engines, rear-wheel drive and a long-bonnet silhouette: it is a car bought with the heart and kept for years.

Inside, though, the multimedia stayed frozen in time. The Z4's screen is set into the upper console, operated with the iDrive wheel, and its navigation relies on maps you have to buy. There is no Apple CarPlay, no Android Auto and no way to get Spotify or Google Maps in there. The answer here is not to tear the dashboard apart: there is a CarPlay interface made specifically for the Z4 E89 that keeps the original screen and wheel and adds exactly what is missing.

Does the BMW Z4 E89 have CarPlay as standard?

No. The Z4 E89 was delivered with these multimedia setups, and none supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto:

• Business / Professional radio without iDrive, with a narrow display and no upper screen.
• iDrive CCC, the first-generation system with a console screen and rotary wheel.
• iDrive CIC, the version with professional navigation, hard drive and a 6.5" or 8.8" screen.

BMW only began offering CarPlay with the NBT EVO system, which arrived after the Z4 E89 and as a paid option at that. For CCC and CIC there is no official update: the hardware does not support it and no coding will activate it.

The solution: CarPlay interface for BMW Z4 E89

A CarPlay interface works differently from an Android head unit: it replaces nothing you can see. It is a module that sits between the multimedia unit and the original screen, adding a new video source you reach from the iDrive menu itself. The dashboard, the screen and the wheel remain factory.

• Wireless Apple CarPlay: your iPhone connects on its own as soon as you start the car.
• Android Auto, wireless or wired, whichever you prefer.
• Google Maps and Waze on the original screen, with traffic, speed cameras and alternative routes, with no map updates to pay for.
• Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and podcasts through CarPlay.
• iDrive wheel and steering wheel controls still working to move around CarPlay, with no need for a touchscreen.
• Phone screen mirroring for the apps CarPlay does not cover.
• Rear camera input, switching automatically when you engage reverse.
• External microphone included for calls and voice commands with Siri and Google Assistant.
• Factory look untouched: turn the source off and the car goes back to its usual iDrive menu.

That is the big advantage of an interface over changing the screen: the Z4's interior stays original, which you appreciate both day to day and when it is time to sell the car.

Compatibility with BMW Z4 E89: supported versions

• BMW Z4 E89 throughout its production, before and after the facelift.
• sDrive 18i, 20i, 23i, 28i, 30i, 35i and 35is versions, with manual, automatic and DKG gearboxes.
• Cars fitted with iDrive CCC and with iDrive CIC, with a 6.5" or 8.8" screen.
• Compatible with M Sport trims and with the Hi-Fi or Logic7 sound systems.

To tell which one you have, look at the screen on start-up: CCC shows a four-quadrant menu, CIC a more modern side menu with hard-drive navigation. If in doubt, send us a photo of the screen switched on and we will confirm the reference before you buy.

What is the installation like?

Fitting is plug & play: the interface is inserted into the video cable that already runs between the unit and the screen, with nothing on the car cut or spliced. It usually takes a little under an hour.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal before touching anything.
2. Using a plastic trim tool, release the bezel around the screen at the top of the console.
3. Remove the screws from the screen and pull it out just enough to reach the rear connector.
4. Unplug the original video cable and insert the interface's two leads into it: one towards the unit and one towards the screen.
5. Connect the module to the vehicle's CAN Bus using the supplied connector: this is what lets the iDrive wheel and steering wheel controls operate CarPlay and makes the source appear in the menu.
6. Place the external microphone near the mirror or the pillar and hide the cable behind the trim.
7. If you are fitting a rear camera, run its video cable to the tailgate along the side of the boot.
8. Reconnect the battery, open the new source from the iDrive menu and check CarPlay, sound and microphone before closing the console.

The interface tucks behind the screen or under the console, so once everything is closed up nothing is visible at all.

• BMW dealer: there is no official CarPlay retrofit for the Z4 E89. Migrating to NBT EVO with screen, module, controller and coding goes beyond 0 at a specialist workshop.
• Updating the CIC maps: between and each time, and you would still have no CarPlay, no live traffic and no apps.
• PantallasPremium: the CarPlay and Android Auto interface made specifically for the BMW Z4 E89 costs , with microphone and wiring included.

It is the cheapest way to have CarPlay in a Z4 without giving up the original interior, and it can be removed again at any time.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose the iDrive menu and the original navigation?
No. The interface adds a new source; the original iDrive keeps working exactly as before and you can switch between the two whenever you like.

How do you operate CarPlay if the screen is not a touchscreen?
With the iDrive wheel itself and the steering wheel buttons. The interface translates those commands into CarPlay, so it is used just like the rest of the car's system.

Does the car need coding?
No. The interface connects to the CAN Bus and works over it without modifying the vehicle's programming. Nothing is left behind in the control unit.

Does the sound go through the car's speakers?
Yes. CarPlay audio plays through the original system, including Hi-Fi or Logic7 if you have it fitted.

Can it be removed without leaving a trace?
Yes. As no wiring is cut, you simply remove the leads and reconnect the original video cable. The car is left exactly as it was.

See the CarPlay interface for BMW Z4 E89

You can see what is in the box, real fitting photos and the connection details on the product page for the CarPlay and Android Auto interface for BMW Z4 E89. If you are not sure whether your car has iDrive CCC or CIC, send us a photo of the screen switched on and we will confirm compatibility.