Nissan 370Z Forum - Garmin Catalyst™ Driving Performance Optimizer

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Garmin Catalyst™ Driving Performance Optimizer

I got an e-mail on this early today. Garmin Catalyst™ Driving Performance Optimizer. Looks like it's an all in one package. Video, lap timer, performance data and more.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/69...,%20MCJT-26373

I'm trying to keep my hype down, till I read more reviews. Sounds super promising and I'd love to stop fiddling with my phone, go pro, and even though it seems to never work, my OBD II device.

Looks nice, ~300-500 less then a similar Aim setup. Audio out to the car or a helmet is an nice feature. But no ECU data logging capability kinda sucks.

Yes, it will be interesting, for a driver like me, that needs coaching, thinking about it.
Also Ross Bentley seems to have something in it

Quote:

think you know that I don’t like to waste your time by sending you emails about things that you can’t use. I hate spammy emails more than anyone! So, I only send messages when I have something important to share with you. Today, is one of those times.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been consulting with Garmin (yes, the watch, avionics, marine, GPS, etc. company) on a product for motorsport, and it’s just been announced. To say I’m excited about it is an understatement!

It’s called the Garmin Catalyst, and it’s kinda creating a new category within what might be considered the data/telemetry world. They define it as a driving performance optimizer. To me, it’s like what snowboarding was to skiing. Sure, both sports involved sliding down a snow-covered mountain, but they’re different. And sure, the Garmin Catalyst uses data, but it’s focused on helping you be a better driver and really optimize your time on the track.
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Quick story: Not quite a year ago, I spent two full days driving at Heartland Park, focused on providing feedback on the usability of the Catalyst. For me, it was a blast! Two days of having a car and track to myself, and all I had to do was drive consistently at the limit and give feedback on how the Catalyst product worked for me. After all that track time, to say that I was comfortable driving at the limit was an understatement – I knew the car and track well. Towards the very end of the second day, I set out with one objective: to listen to the Catalyst – to have it coach me on what to do to be an even better driver. It told me to focus on three things (Opportunity 1, 2 & 3), and I did. After just half a dozen laps, I had knocked 0.9 seconds off my very best lap time! I was shocked. I thought I was already driving the car at its limit, and yet the Catalyst found almost a full second for me.

As author James Clear says, "When feedback is immediate, clear, and concrete, people learn quickly. When feedback is delayed, abstract, and opaque, people rarely learn." That’s the problem with most data systems – you don’t get the feedback until you’re back in the paddock, where you can’t do much about it (then you have to pull out the laptop, and interpret a bunch of squiggly lines on a screen). With the Garmin Catalyst, feedback is immediate, real-time, when you can do something about it.

I’m a huge proponent of using data to help improve one’s driving, but I’ve always felt that these data systems were designed by engineers, for engineers, and us drivers had to adapt them to help us improve our driving. The Garmin Catalyst is designed first by drivers, for drivers. It’s a driver’s tool. It’s like having a driver coach, like me, with you at all times – in the car, and between on-track sessions.

No, don’t worry, I’m not changing careers and becoming a salesperson for Garmin! But, having been involved in the development of the Catalyst, I’m proud of what it does. It’s going to revolutionize our track-driving world.

Check it out by https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/690726.

Keep learning and having fun!

Ross

Have plenty of time to think for me till next year, I was starting to think about APEX Pro

I am pretty stoked about it. I have an AIM Solo 2 and the Apex. The Apex is nice when learning a new track. On tracks that I know well the AIMS is better for nuances. The Garmin seems a step or three above the Apex.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

I'd be interested to know if this "coach" is anything more then your basic beginner HPDE line. Or does it take into account car/weight/hp a line for a FWD/RWD High/Low HP Heavy/Light and every combination in between will be different.

“TALK TO ME, COACH”
Listen and learn. Receive live audio coaching cues on the track via wireless BLUETOOTH® technology through your compatible headset2 or car stereo.

TRUE OPTIMAL LAP™ TECHNOLOGY
This feature uses advanced algorithms to create a composite of your optimum achievable time, based on lines you actually drove and can repeat.

yeah, i got the email too. Seems like an interesting concept, but need a decent promo video to show how it works before even thinking about dropping $1000 on it.

YouTube videos are surfacing I found this one interesting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnH2pHnZQCQ

Gave me food for thought on it, I did like the part about coaching, this is what I need at my age, if I want to learn to drive a bit quicker
:driving:

Standalone unit, you can no download any information, just video from the SD card. No data inputs from the car, just gps and accelerometers. It has to be fixed in the middle of the windshield because it can sense how far you are from the edge with some image processing so putting it to one side or further back will mess up that function. They say it has a very good image processing and logic to piece best segments together and show/tell you where to be on the track, when to brake, where to apex, where to accelerate.

But it doesn't know anything about track specifics, which turns are throw aways, or you can hit that curb but not that one.

They don't mention if it makes and changes on the type of car your in, 1993 Miata or a NASCAR but they way they talk about going from car to car it wouldn't seem like it does. It seems like its better then a Harry's Lap Timer but not as good as a Video Data Logger with someone who can read the data and knows the track and car.

I was skeptical about it, but looks like it is useful with its live couching

Now I saw it into action, I like the promise of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlWakRa (Post 3963891)

I was skeptical about it, but looks like it is useful with its live couching

Now I saw it into action, I like the promise of it.

I have been watching several youtube videos on it...
For myself I like the idea, of having some instructions....

Yes, I liked how you can know instantly what was your mistake, or if you surpassed your last time, AIM solo can tell you that by predicting your current laptime, but nothing more until you go back to pit and plug it to your laptop to know where you braked earlier, where you braked later, where you could carry more speed…etc.

Tried out my Garmin Catalyst at Daytona this weekend with NASA. Worked great. What I like best is the ability to INSTANTLY see performance and opportunities for improvement, including watching the video by section to visualize. Only drawback I see is no ECU data. But unless you are DEEP into data, I think the Garmin is a better solution versus the AIM Solo 2 DL (which I’ve been using for a year now).

Here's a review by GrassRoots Motorsports

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE7yJwozsS4

enjoy :driving:

Three people I know that frequent NASA Central events were actually part of the core team developing the catalyst. The weekend before last I got a chance to see the device and video from another driver. It's a very slick device and definitely worth the money. I kind of wish they would have gone with a 5" screen instead of a 7", though. If you mount it up higher, the 7" is very obstructive. I'm looking into getting one next year, but I'll have to work on my front bumper/splitter first.

For me, I think the best place to mount it would be on the little flip up cubby in the dash and face towards the driver.