A recent Reddit post from forum member Brake_L8 elaborates on how it was possible to transplant a Nexus 7 Android tablet into the center dash of a BMW 3-Series E46. The photos provided prove it looks pretty good once done up and it apparently works really well too.
The author goes into more detail about how it uses custom software that is activated upon turning the ignition key, as well as the need to move the climate control unit to make room for the touchscreen.
It looks fairly easy to do, but make sure you know what you’re doing before you set out to dismantle your dashboard. If you’re not sure of how, explain your idea to somebody who is more handy (i.e. a friend or a professional audio installer) and pay them a menial amount to do it for you.
The problem with buying an older car, say from the early 2000s, is that while it may still be desirable today and still competent from an engineering standpoint, it will lack most of the connectivity features that are now commonplace.
Any car similar to the E46 is still a nice, modern car to own, however the same problem of nonexistent infotainment persists (not limited to BMW) and given the more unusual shapes of the center stack’s openings, a great solution is difficult to find – plopping a tablet in in this way is definitely one way to go!
By Andrei Nedelea
Story References and Photo Credits: Reddit/Brake_L8
