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My wife has a 1998 SL500 2-door with the original audio equipment. What would be the best replacement that has bluetooth and CarPlay? I’ve attached a photo of the central console. There is also a car phone on top there, which can be removed to make space for something else. The area with the car phone is highlighted.
1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500, 1999 Ford F250 reg cab V10
If you want CarPlay, that makes things harder. You’ll likely want a screen that slides out of a single-DIN unit and then flips up. Which would neatly block your HVAC controls. But…if you can forego CarPlay, then…
RetroSound Grand Prix 4HD. I set the button colors to amber. The same faceplate is installed over several different “motors” (their term) for the actual head unit functions. You get a USB jack in the back, note my cord running out from the right side of the console. Bluetooth is there - for your phone along with music from it. You also get the proprietary connector for a SiriusXM tuner. You lose the CD changer connection - that goes unused here. The 4HD “motor” adds an HD Radio tuner. You can see the microphone they include nestled in a bit to the left of the HVAC controls. If your car has the OEM telephone, then you have a very nice microphone already from the factory. I’ve read that you can find its connection behind your drug head unit and plug it into an aftermarket radio. I tried on mine and found a wire that had been neatly cut - no plug…. Why? Who knows…. Old cars, old stories…
Last edited by djcwardog; Sep 28, 2025 at 10:23 AM.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
