Now I have been attending a number of track days, at times I would mount my iPhone on my handphone holder and record my drive. The only problem I have with that method, is that I have only a single point of view. If I had a GoPro camera instead, I could probably mount it around the car at various locations. But again, it is still a point of view from the car itself. Toyota has come up with something to offer their Toyota 86 customers al alternative.
Toyota Motor Corporation will launch the “Sports Drive Logger” onboard telemetry recording device, an exciting new way to enjoy driving by fusing the thrill and adrenaline of track driving with the comfort and fun of home gaming. Designed specifically for the Toyota “86” sports car, the Sports Drive Logger will be released throughout Japan on June 2*1 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of 91,800 yen*2 (around RM2,900).
The logger collects data passing through the vehicle’s controller area network (CAN) and also positional data from its dedicated GPS, and formats the data for easy copying to USB memory. CAN data can include GPS data, accelerator pedal strokes, steering angles, brake operation signals, shift operation signals, engine speed and vehicle speed.
The first application compatible with the data is Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.’s racing game Gran Turismo 6*3*4 (GT6), a PlayStation®3*3 (PS3) exclusive. On April 2, a PS3 firmware update (version 1.06) will enable the input of driving data recorded at certain racing circuits into GT6’s GPS Visualizer to let users replay track runs and race against their own or their friends’ data.
Furthermore, by using the GPS Data Visualizer in conjunction with GT6’s GPS Data Logger, users will be able to compare their own driving data against those of professional drivers, enabling study and improvement of driving techniques by practicing in concert with model braking, acceleration techniques and racing lines. Having these data at hand would definitely help track enthusiasts improve their times and driving especially when comparing against seasoned professionals.
Initially supported racing circuits are the Fuji Speedway International Racing Course, the Tsukuba Circuit 2000 Course, and the Suzuka Circuit International Racing Course, with additional circuits planned for the future.
I just hope that there will be aftermarket solutions for this piece of technology as well.
*2Includes eight percent Japanese consumption tax; excludes installation and other costs
*3Registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
*4Developed by Polyphony Digital Inc.
