Yahoo Autos 2023 Honda Civic Type R Track Drive: We put the LogR telemetry system to the test
GREENCASTLE Ind. — In case you missed it, the verdict is in. The Honda Civic Type R is the hot front-wheel-drive car for the track, while the Acura Integra Type S is the ideal setup on the street. Today, I’m in a Civic Type R, so it’s only right that I’m also on a race track.
Honda brought me down to Putnam Park Road Course in Indiana for a number of reasons, but number one on the list was to drive the 2023 Civic Type R and explore its fascinating LogR tech in its natural environment: the race track.
What is Honda LogR? In short, it’s a sophisticated telemetry system baked into every Civic Type R that allows you to analyze your performance both on and off the track. It’s a system that initially debuted on the previous generation Type R for its mid-cycle refresh, but it’s been revamped and improved for this totally new generation. Everything is accessible via the Type R’s infotainment system, but there’s an accompanying app that you can view all of the data on after a lapping session, too.
The main screen it opens to is a much-appreciated page of gauges to monitor all of your vital lubricants during hard driving. You get gauges for some (but not all) of these items in the cluster, but being able to monitor oil temperature, coolant temperature, transmission oil temperature, oil pressure, intake air temperature and boost pressure while pushing hard provides the peace of mind any frequent track day enthusiast would love.
Swipe over, and Honda provides friction circles for all four tires to give you real-time loads on the tires — the circles light up in yellow when grip is being efficiently transmitted to let you know you’re doing a good job. Another neat feature is the “3D Motion Display” which will give you a real-time visual of the car’s direction and inclination around a racetrack. Of course, you won’t want to watch this little animation play while driving, but you can watch it back once outside of the car and compare how you maneuvered the vehicle versus professional drivers (or your friends) on the same track. You can even ensure the accuracy of the animation by choosing your specific exterior color in the infotainment system.
That brings us to one of LogR’s other big pluses. All of the data that you log on the track goes into a database so that you can compare your laps and driving skill versus other Type R drivers. Assuming someone has driven on and logged their lapping on a track that you’re on, their lap times, telemetry and all other data will be viewable via your LogR app. You’ll be able to see where you braked, accelerated, your driving line, amount of Gs and all the intricate data that real race teams use, then compare it to others. Dive deeper, and LogR will tell you things like “You are close to the limits of the car,” or “Try braking earlier and focus on getting a good exit speed to improve your lap times.” The LogR app even gives you a numerical score and a letter grade based on how you did. It’s never been easier to claim driving skill superiority.
If a track isn’t in the system already, you can easily add it via a mapping function — all you need to do is set a start point, and drive a lap. Honda says it’s even possible to map a “lap” on public roads, but, of course, followed that up with the disclaimer that you should not treat public roads like a race track.
