TOPIC:

No not for carplay, I already have Android auto.
just want to get the latest and greatest.
An upgrade from v7 to v8 and than to v9 should also have to be done solely at the garage?

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You can do upgrade byyourself from reliable source. Altough you will have an missaligement guidelines of reverse camera which is  also a heritage of V1 hardware of R-Link2… as impossibility to have CarPlay in any way.

Oh come on. Even old R-link can have CarPlay when USB module is replaced for the newer one.

Nope. Mising PCB for CP on mainboard. 

Depends on HWGen. There were some R-links without CarPlay that need to replace old USB module 280230016R with newer one 280239665R and CarPlay can be activated then. But these started with firmware 3.3.15. Those starting with firmware 2.x had always HWGen V1.1 that really cannot support CP. But there is always a way... new R-link costs like 350 EUR or so? If you have 1000 EUR for iPhone, you should be able to buy also a new R-link.

New device with full service in official garage/dealer costed arround a 1k EUR.  350€ are used devices with no warranty how they will work in your car. Always you need an official service which update all necesary in system. And you need a virginised device, not just a pulled from dashboard. And even 3rd party modules for CarPlay are not cheap at all. 
On short. HW version 1 is game over. HW version 1.1 must have 3.3.16.x software and changed module. Changed device to HW 2.x must have changrd module if replaced from HW 1 or HW 1.1 with FW 3.3.15.x… personaly I got a new device HW 2.x with 9.0.34.x. I have to replace USB module with newer and CP works as expected.