Bic's first MX5

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2

Hello everyone!

It’s been a week now since I bought my first MX5 and I’m absolutely lovin’ it! It’s 09/2003 MK2.5 1.8 S-VT Sport with 6 speed manual and all the usual trim. From extras it’s worth mentioning factory fitted Clarion CD/SAT NAV, K&N Typhoon (the sound it makes, oh booyyy). 75k miles on the clock and has done just 5k in the last 4 years. Bought it from a very lovely elderly chap from Cheshire who only used it during summers and kept it in the garage rest of the time.

I’ll be looking to do couple visual and performance mods down the road so stay tuned! 

 

 

 

 

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Hello and welcome  nice looking car well done.

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Don’t forget to declare all modifications to your insurer.

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Nice looking car you have there. The stereo and induction kit are after market accessories, but I agree the K&N does sound lovely.

 

Oh, and welcome to the addiction.

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Welcome on board; good looking motor. 

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Cheers guys! Lovely motor indeed! 

Over the weekend I decided to swap my factory fitted (very expensive extra back in the days) Clarion QX6022T (Mazda BL4L-18C815-AD) for something a little bit more functional (hands-free, bluetooth, usb etc.). Whilst I had higher expectations for the new Pioneer SPH-DA120 it is still pretty good and covers all my needs. Couple pics below.

P.S. My old Clarion is up for sale if anyone is interested.

 

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nice looking motor

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I’ve been thinking of getting one of these. Do you use the CarPlay function and if so, how well does it work? Did you manage to retain the steering wheel controls?

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That’s pretty much the reason why I bought it. :wink:

But as I mentioned I’m somewhat disappointed because:

  1. To use CarPlay you have to use Lightning cable plugged at the end of supplied USB extension lead (which takes up extra space behind the dash) or otherwise it won't work. CarPlay won't work if you plug Lightning cable directly into the unit.
  2. When you use CarPlay you will have to stick to the apps it supports at the moment. From all the hundreds of apps on my iPhone only Spotify has CarPlay extension. And if, for example, you want to use Waze and Spotify simultaneously then you will need to revert to the default Pioneer controls (not CarPlay) or otherwise it won't work. CarPlay replicates controls/functions of currently active app on both screens (Pioneer and iPhone).
All otherwise it's brilliant. Multiple bluetooth connections (voice, audio), Aux, USB (they also charge smartphones), hands-free etc. It comes with an external GPS antenna, which I managed to fit neatly just by the windscreen. I've got MK2.5 so can't comment on steering wheel controls although they should work OK with relevant ISO leads on newer models.
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Thanks Bic, useful info. Can’t understand why the need for an extension cable to plug-in the iPhone rather than directly; seems odd, must be a Pioneer thing.