If you’re an iPhone user and your car isn’t a fossil from the early 2000s, chances are you’ve used Apple CarPlay. But Apple just took things to the next level.
At long last, CarPlay Ultra is officially out in the wild, and let me tell you, it’s not just an upgrade, it’s a full system takeover. And thanks to TopGear’s excellent deep dive, we get a solid look at what this tech is all about.
From Mirror to Mastermind
The old CarPlay was essentially a mirror of your iPhone. But CarPlay Ultra? It’s something entirely different. It still connects to your phone, sure, but now it blends iPhone-powered features with real-time data from the car—like fuel level, speed, tire pressure, and even climate control.
TopGear described it perfectly: “You’re not constantly flicking between the Apple CarPlay user-interface and the car’s built-in system, everything is brought together in one cohesive skin.” That skin? All Apple. Simple, crisp, and stunning.
Full Takeover Mode
The review car was no slouch either. TopGear tested CarPlay Ultra in an Aston Martin DBX 707, which comes with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster. And yes, CarPlay Ultra didn’t just run on the center screen, it completely took over the instrument cluster too.
What’s wild is how customizable the interface is. You can swipe through different display layouts (a bit like changing Apple Watch faces), switching from classic analog-style dials to ultra-modern horizontal lines, or even full-screen maps. And while the layout options are fixed for now, TopGear says more could come later via updates.
One feature that really caught my attention? The interface instantly adapts to your region. When TopGear plugged in their UK-registered iPhone in sunny California, it still used Celsius instead of Fahrenheit and switched to British spellings. It just knows. Classic Apple move.
Total Integration (Finally)
Here’s the real kicker: with CarPlay Ultra, you no longer need to exit CarPlay just to adjust your seat heater or tweak the AC. It’s all there, climate, audio, radio, everything— right within the CarPlay system. You can control things using the touchscreen, steering wheel buttons, or even Siri. It’s that seamless.
There’s also something Apple calls “punch-through UI,” where native car features (like Aston’s Bowers & Wilkins sound settings) are shown as-is inside the CarPlay ecosystem. So you’re not losing those bespoke in-car experiences, they’re just living inside a much sleeker environment.
Not All Automakers Are Keen (For Now)
Interestingly, not all automakers are thrilled about Apple taking over all their screens. Mercedes-Benz’s CEO famously said it was a “big fat no” to giving up the entire dashboard UI to Apple. Yet, somehow, Mercedes is still on Apple’s rollout list. Go figure.
As of now, Aston Martin is first out the gate. Starting today (May 15th), every new Aston sold in the U.S. will come with CarPlay Ultra pre-installed. Other brands like Porsche, Ford, Volvo, Renault, and Hyundai aren’t far behind.
If you want it, though, you’ll need at least an iPhone 12 running iOS 18.5, and your car needs a digital cluster. It’s all wireless, no cables necessary after the first pairing.
Aston Martin also released a promo video of their first-ever CarPlay Ultra vehicle.
The 404 Take
This feels like the future Apple’s been quietly working toward. I’ve always appreciated how intuitive CarPlay was, but this? It’s on another level. As TopGear puts it: “If you already love CarPlay, you’re going to love this even more.” Couldn’t agree more.
I’m seriously looking forward to seeing how other automakers customize their own versions of CarPlay Ultra, especially those that love throwing giant screens across the dash.
Want to see it in action? Head over to TopGear’s full review, where they’ve broken down every detail with real-world testing inside the DBX. Definitely worth your time if you’re even remotely into tech and cars.
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