Finally pulled the trigger on this aftermarket head unit that I've found on AliExpress. It cost me $627 in total including tariff, and arrived in 17 days.

The installation took me about 8 hours. I followed this great YouTube video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yHUl-IY_Do) on removing the trims and factory head unit. The manual that comes with the head unit was of little help (only the wiring diagram is somewhat helpful) and even worse is not all cables have been labeled and I had to consult the seller. My R60 has the factory Harman Kardon audio, which was confirmed by the seller to be supported. The unit is plug and play, no custom wiring is needed. Some notes on my wiring though:

• The radio antenna cable is connected to the black connector that was originally connected to the factory MINI Boost CD player.
• I didn't use any of the RCA connectors. Instead, I cut them to save some room.
• The fan cable is not needed.
• I did use the GPS antenna just in case I needed to use the built-in Google Maps.
• I didn't use the external microphone as the unit has an internal one.

The CD player is no longer functional but is still put back for aesthetic reason. However, there's little room behind it and hence wiring is kinda challenging. I managed to get them all tucked behind the head unit (including the CAN Bus decoder).

Once installed, the unit looks fantastic, matching the trim perfectly. The audio sounds great and I can't tell any difference from the factory one (don't quote on me though). The steering wheel audio control work as before. The LED ring on the unit is a nice touch and also my favorite, which responds to various events (engine RPM, turn signals, reverse gear, etc.). It's very responsive too (mine is 8G RAM + 128G ROM).

I did observe a few small hiccups though:

• The screen appears to have slight backlight leaking from around the edge but it's acceptable to me.
• Even though the unit is set to use MPH, KPH is used for target speed when setting cruise control.
• Even at lowest brightness, it still feels a little bit too bright in the night. I figured out a workaround, which is to install an app called Android Quick Settings from Play Store, where I can enable Night Display (either manually or automatically per schedule). Also, you can easily toggle the display on and off by tapping an icon, and back on by tapping anywhere in the screen or pressing any button on the steering wheel.
• The unit is very loud, even if the volume is only at 3. Research on the Internet indicates it could be because the unit's amplifier is connected to the car's, which ends up dual amplification. I was still talking to the seller for validation. Unfortunately, it's Lunar New Year in China and response is very slow. One workaround is to install an app called Precise Volume 2.0 + Equalizer that allows you to adjust and lock the media volume separately. The reason why locking is needed is even if you turn down the media volume in the app, the moment you use the volume down or up button on the steering wheel, the media volume is reset back to 79.

I also installed a backup camera as part of the mod, which turns out to another great addition. The camera was from ($29) and installed between the two license plate lights. The camera came with a 4-pin thin connector, which allowed me to fish the wire through the gap between the trunk and the bumper, so that I didn't have to remove the latter. As is connected to the CAN Bus, the unit knows when the gear is in reverse, which means I didn't have to tap the camera to the reverse light. The guidelines can be adjusted in the unit as well: when the backup camera is on, tap the screen and hold for a few seconds, and a gear icon will show up. Click it and enter "1111" as the password.

I did enable "Sleep mode" in the unit's settings, so that it resumes instantaneously each time the car is started and I don't have to wait 10+ seconds before backup camera is shown. Don't worry about draining the battery though, as MINI shuts off everything when the car is turned off and locked. The camera works surprisingly well at night, way better than the factory ones on my two other cars. Definitely recommend it.

 

I absolutely love this and it is great that someone had the bravery to try this thing.
Well done post too!

Great to hear that it works well.
Two questions from my side:

It has only 2-channels line out? (One left and one right, correct?)

Maybe stupid Q but better to confirm, you loose all the mini native diagnostics, right?

 

Thanks! To your questions:

1. No, with my current setup, it appears to have at least 4 channels. I say this because the unit comes with a DSP app, where I can adjust the balance among four speakers (shown in the picture). I'm able to completely mute the two front ones and only have the rear ones on (either or both). I'm not sure about the RCA output though. As I mentioned, I cut them as I thought I wouldn't need them. I'm thinking getting the cables from the seller just in case I need them down the road. Will let you know if RCA has 2-ch or 4-ch output.
2. Can you clarify what you mean by native diagnostics? All the symbols from the factory HU are still preserved in the new one, e.g., engine check light, cruise control light, fuel gauge, fog light indicator etc. If you need to check the exact error, it's still available on the tacho, which has not bee replaced. BTW, one nice thing is changes made on the new HU are synced to the tacho, e.g., distance/temperature unit, time.

Feel free to let me know if you've more Qs.

 

That virtual DSP looks good!

Yes please, let me know if this baby offers 4 channel RCAs because if I can keep the fader on my aftermarket amp’d setup (not HK), I might pull the trigger too and get rid of my CIC HU and drop the idea of installing an MMI Box to get Carplay.

You had the standard HU without Navi, the CIC system I have mentioned is the Navi based one which also has a couple of visual menu dedicated to car systems (TPMS, various service reminders, bit more detailed info in case of system faults):



Something like this.

 

I see. I'm not sure if CIC is supported, but I guess you can check with the seller before pulling the trigger.