Downloadable driving data/Toyota encourages modification

[nate89]

Here are a couple interesting articles I found. The first is about downloading the driving data from the car. This means two things: 1) The computer will be unlocked for easy access by 3rd parties (i.e.: tuning), and 2) the data will be able to be uploaded to the computer of video game system (PS3) for further analysis. So, you'd be able to drive a lap at your favorite circuit, then come back home, analyze the data, upload it to GT5 and race yourself. Pretty cool stuff!

Also, this could be available by August!

Hachi-Roku Thursday: Toyota 86 To Let Drivers Download Data, Interact With Gran Turismo



Hachi-roku Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada credits his sons with giving him the impetus to develop this car. His sons are 24 and 27 now, they do not have a driver’s license and show no interest in cars. “They sit in front of the computer all day,” says Tada. “On Gran Turismo, they are better than their father. But they don`t want to drive.”

Tada tells how he took his boys to the racetracks since age 5 to awaken an interest in cars. It was a disaster, Tada admits:

“Manufacturers like to blame young people for having no interest in cars. Maybe we should blame ourselves. Manufacturers provided boring cars and focused on older people, because this is where the money is. We have abandoned young people.”

Creating new excitement for young people in an affordable car became the driving force behind the hachi-roku. Then, Tada had another idea. “I want to provide an interface between our car and their computer.” When Tada mentioned this to his sons, their eyes lit up.

Toyota, says Tada, developed an interface that makes CAN bus data available to a computer or game machine. Toyota has ditched all driving nannies on the hachi-roku, and pared down the electronics to what is legally mandated. But the car must have a CAN bus, and Tada wants to give the data to the driver. Not like a glorified data logger. Says Tada:

“People could load driving data into Gran Turismo and recreate the drive. We can combine the data with Google streetview. People could drive in the real world against a virtual F1 driver. They can have fun with the data.”

Hachi-roku owners can do whatever they or developers come up with, because Tada wants to publish the specs.

A patent for that interface has been applied for, and as mentioned before, the gizmo “should be ready to buy by August 6th.”

I requested an advance copy and will keep you posted. I better buy Gran Turismo.

-via: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...-this-at-home/

The second article talks about getting the most from the stock engine, or swapping it out altogether.

Hachi-Roku Thursday: Toyota Could Work With Porsche On Next Engine, Chief Engineer Says



The 86 is not on sale yet, and people are already swapping engines. In a virtual way at least. In hachi-roku forums people are discussing the merits of more horsepower than the stock 200hp. They also wonder aloud how much additional power the hachi-roku can safely take. “Go for it,” says hachi-roku Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada:

“Some Americans already put a 5 liter engine in a Mazda roadster. There are fanclubs who want to do the same with our car. There is no rule to limit that. As manufacturers, we can’t do that. We have to give guarantees. We need to build cars that last. Tuners can try. We welcome that.”

“As it is, only highly skilled drivers can make full use of the stock engine. Some people may like to have a higher speed in the straightaway, but there are lots of other cars they can choose.”

Nevertheless, Tada leaves the door open to more factory power, with interesting partners:

“For our current engine, we cooperated with Subaru. Maybe we cooperate with Porsche or someone else next time. You can partner with anybody in the world these days.”

BMW for instance?

-via: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...engineer-says/

Nothing really Earthshattering, but interesting since there is no immediate news to talk about.

[SUB-FT86]

It looks like Tada is saying the engine isn't really design for modding?

[Ryephile]

Downloadable data is always a good thing.

Originally Posted by Tada-san

“As it is, only highly skilled drivers can make full use of the stock engine. Some people may like to have a higher speed in the straightaway, but there are lots of other cars they can choose.”

Excellent! It's a dare to all the power mongers to be better drivers rather than rely on a throttle-pedal crutch.

[neutron256]

I wonder if this means apps like http://www.speedport.us/ will work for the FRS. It currently works with Audi, Porsche, and VW's and lets you configure different profiles on your car right from your smart phone.

Very cool it they are serious about this.

[merlin2111]

Sounds very neat. GT5 needs more autox courses.

[Zaku]

Pretty nice shots of DGM color car, and doesn't seem like he wants you to mod it more like bring out the potential of yourself instead

[coyote]

Sounds like this Tada guy talks a lot of bull shit.

[Bob]

Seriously, is nobody else totally mindfarked by the GT5 link idea?

[Double4Free]

On a side note unrelated to the articles, is that color FR-S in the pictures asphalt? Looks a tad different, deeper grey. I like it ahha

[#87]

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86

It looks like Tada is saying the engine isn't really design for modding?

I think he is saying they built a quality product and if you want to toy with it you should. The same way Intel sells unlocked chips so you can overclock if you want to. But of course neither will warranty if you blow it up in your face ^_^

[Dark]

Hachi-Roku Thursday: Toyota Could Work With Porsche On Next Engine, Chief Engineer Says

Stop thinking about doing it, just do it.

[Laika]

Originally Posted by Bob

Seriously, is nobody else totally mindfarked by the GT5 link idea?

I'm sure it'll be interesting though.

[Snoopyalien24]

lol to me it looks like Tada is just letting everything go. Saying in other words "Omg shut up! If you guys want more power, then do it yourselves. Enjoy this model, but the next one will be even better. My kids play video games and don't like driving, so Im going to go all out and just make the Supra in colab with Porsche"

K maybe I added that last part

[Infernal]

I love the idea of this data logger, i think it's brilliant, i know they have tested it out on fuji (it's toyota's track ofc) but i wonder what it would do if you wanted to log what you did on a track that gt5 doesent have in game?