Toyota has decided to blur the lines between virtual and real-life car racing, thanks to a brand new accessory for its 86 (which is also called the GT86 and Scion FR-S in select markets) sports car. With the new Sports Drive Logger, drivers are able to record their lap times as well as relevant data, before opting to upload such information to the Gran Turismo 6 video game, so that one can go head-to-head against friends and professional drivers.
This is one fun device to be sure, as it breaks down your performance into a bunch of different metrics. Specially designed to blend real-life track driving with the virtual, you will be able to perform virtual replays of your track runs as you can see in the video example above.
The Sports Drive Logger telemetry recording device would hook up to the ride’s controller area network (CAN) and GPS in order to perform its data collection duties. Among the data collected include GPS information, vehicle speed, accelerator pedal input, steering angles, brake operation signals, shifting data and engine speed, where all drivers have their own style.
Such data, when applied to the PS3’s Gran Turismo 6 car racing game, would allow one to “replay” the run in the virtual world using their real world driving style. Right now, the GT6 Toyota drive logger functionality supports the Fuji Speedway International Course, the Tsukuba Circuit 2000 Course, and the Suzuka Circuit International Course, with plans to add additional courses down the road. [Press Release]
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