We’ve been waiting a long time for this: that’s right, there’s a new head unit king in town, with ATOTO’s release of the S8 — head unit performance redefined. We’ve come a long way since the good old car audio DB drag racing days. Back then, the most common single-din head units were simply a tool for refining audio output, and a place where a big fat dial was located to turn clockwise — to the max position. These days, though, we’ve all had the experience of someone’s late-model vehicle that is equipped with a factory head unit with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay that seamlessly connects to your mobile device, allowing you to run navigation, music, and so much more. But for those of us who don’t want to give up on our older vehicles that run an older-style head unit, what are our options? The ATOTO S8 is what you need. This double-din based head unit has so many features, it blows the latest modern-vehicle head units out of the water and, as the screen is swivel-mounted externally to the unit, it can be bigger than the double din slot, giving you 10.1-inches of viewing.

So what does this mean? With the ultra-clear QLED display, you get a bunch of pre-installed apps and the use of all the standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay features. Plus, HD virtual surround-view parking, front and rear cameras, a tyre pressure monitor (if you have the sensors), and an entire range of OBD-based gauges that can display things such as RPM, boost, voltage, and can even measure things such as quarter-mile time, 0-60mph, and a heap more. When you’re on the go, you’re able to use hand gestures to control the unit and when you do stop, the ATOTO S8 has an intensely detailed EQ section, with more RCA outputs than you’ll ever need for an audio install. One of the most impressive things is the responsiveness of the screen. It boots up almost instantly, and swiping through apps is seamless. It’s so good, your mates with brand new cars will be asking to go in your older performance car when the next roadie arises — go check one out for yourself at jswire.co.nz.