For years, if you’ve wanted your car to provide you with detailed performance specs and track day information, you’d have had to buy a Dodge to take advantage of the SRT Performance Pages. Now, Honda is here to steal the performance info throne with its LogR app, which I got a chance to try during the Indy 500 weekend.
(Full disclosure: Honda invited me out to the 2023 Indianapolis 500 and also gave me a chance to try out some of its latest and greatest pieces of tech, including an opportunity to hit the track with a Honda Civic Type R to try out the LogR app.)
Allow me to be honest with you all for a moment: I didn’t get a chance to drive the Civic Type R. Just before the Indy 500, one of my beloved feral cat rescues bit my right hand, and after my karting stint, I’d irritated the injury to the point that my thumb had swollen and I was unable to really have full mobility. As a result, I didn’t feel comfortable using that same pained hand to maneuver the gear shifter as we took on an unfamiliar track. Instead, I rode along with my friend and colleague Alanis King and our lead driver Ryan Eversley. I was still able to explore the LogR app; I just couldn’t do the driving.
So, with that out of the way, just what is the Honda LogR app, and what does it do? Essentially, it’s a datalogging app that actually connects directly to your Type R’s infotainment system, so all the car’s onboard sensors and data trackers can funnel info right into your phone. If you used the app when it debuted on the last generation, then you’re missing out on the new features in the revamped interface.
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If you’re a big data nerd, you’re going to love the Log R app. You can watch gauges to monitor just about everything vital in the car, well beyond anything you can see on the digital gauge cluster. Swipe over, and you’ll also be able to check out friction circles for all four tires and a “3D Motion Display” that gives you a real-time animation of your Type R’s placement on the track.
The big bonus from the Type R app, though, is its feedback. It’ll give you a grade and let you know how you can improve your lap time, such as braking earlier or maximizing exit speed, based on the track you’re at. You can find your exact braking points, acceleration points, your driving line, your Gs, and so much more, which means you can absolutely pretend to be a Formula 1 engineer advising their driver (yourself) on how to get the most from the machine. If you’re even more competitive, you can upload your lap times to Honda’s database and compare yours to the lap times of other drivers around the world. Not bad.
What happens if you’re not lapping a well-known track like, say, the Nurburgring? What happens if you’re hanging out at a much smaller course, like Putnam Park? Honda makes that easy, too; the LogR app has a mapping function that allows you to trace out the route you’ll be driving. Then, it’ll save that data as you start laying down faster and faster laps. You’ll never lose out on an opportunity to go ever faster.
If you don’t want an app, Honda has you covered: all this info is available in the Type R’s infotainment system, so you’ll be able to review your lap times and friction circles after you’ve parked but while you’re still in the driver’s seat.
I can hear you, Prospective Type R owner: maybe you’d love to go lapping at your local track, but you simply cannot for whatever reason. You don’t have to be a performance fiend to use the LogR app; it can actually grade your daily driving with an “Auto Score,” which essentially compares your driving style to what Honda engineers consider to be “good” driving. That means it tracks things like smooth clutch operation, acceleration efficiency, turning radius, and more in order to give you feedback on how to become a better driver, even in your daily life.
These are all pretty significant upgrades compared to Dodge’s Performance Pages, which are confined to in-car use only and only tracks your information without providing feedback on how to improve. Honda is coming for the performance crown.