BMW CIC iDrive Navigation Retrofit (2004-2009 BMWs)
Product Review (submitted on October 20, 2014):
I finally got a CIC + combox retrofit done on my X5 through Mike Benvo of BPMsport and I wanted to post a review to tell you of the awesome job he did. I have been wanting this retrofit done ever since I found out it was possible. As you all probably know the CCC is an unwieldy rhino whereas the CIC is an agile panther! I did my research on this forum and others and was all set to send my money to Patryk, however I was a little weary of the DIY aspect of the install going through Patryk. I am technically savy but I would rather have a professional do the install then attempt to do it myself. As a result I started scanning the forums to see if there was somebody in the greater Los Angeles area who could handle a CIC retrofit. My search led me to Mike Benvo and I am so glad I decided to trust him with my car.
The first thing that comes across when you talk to Mike is that he is a consummate professional, off the bat he told me exactly what I needed and even talked me out of a 6nr+iphone cradle upgrade because he felt it would be wasted money! After I placed my order he went about gathering all the parts needed for this retrofit, and he kept me updated constantly as to where my parts were and when they would arrive. Upon arrival of the CIC, screen, controller and a rear camera and parking sensor module Mike checked the parts for scratches; he is a perfectionist when it comes to that type of a thing. After the parts passed his meticulous inspection we set up an install date.
On the day of the install I met Mike at his place of business and he promptly went about taking the car apart like a pro after he was done my poor X5 looked like it had been in a chop shop… After the dismantling was done Mike went about painstakingly putting everything together and recoding the CIC to US specs. There were some issues that arose during the install such as US maps not wanting to install however Mike was able to write a work around for that and now I have 2012 US maps and the best part Bluetooth audio streaming!! Mike even procured and installed the rear LCI taillights and coded all the extra features such as dvd in motion and speed display in the front display for me, thus completing the transformation of my X5.
All in all I am extremely satisfied with the work Mike did and if anyone in the Los Angeles area is looking for a professionally done CIC retrofit I would highly recommend Mike Benvo of BPMsport.