Garmin launches an all-new device called the catalyst that promises to deliver better lap times.

Venturing into the realm of track-day toys, the Garmin Catalyst takes all the hassle and difficulty out of telemetry and puts it into a very simple, graphical display that can actually coach you in how to get around a circuit faster.

A few track-day enthusiasts within Garmin appear to be serious petrol heads who spend a fair amount of time thrashing machinery around circuits for fun. They got together and are taking data analytics to the track-day masses. The Catalyst device mounts onto your windshield or dash like any normal Garmin and comes with a remote 1080p camera that captures and records your lines on the track. Once you’ve done a few laps, the Catalyst quickly works out what your optimum lap would be (theoretical fastest lap combining all your fastest sectors together) and can then play it back to you in a stitched-together video – how cool is that? You can see whether you need to turn in earlier, later or even carry more speed. A speaker (connected via Bluetooth or plugged into your compatible headset) can even coach you real-time on track shouting directions as to what you should do to go faster.

If you really want to dig into the details of the telemetry, you still can, analysing specific corners and sections of the track to make those all-important gains. It can even tell you if you are going too fast in a certain section that is costing you time later in the lap. Where regular lap data devices output via squiggly lines and confusing charts, Garmin has turned the whole interface into neat, easy to understand graphics.

The Garmin Catalyst is also loaded with a global track database meaning your local track should already be installed. There is also the option of manually adding a circuit but for the moment, point to point (eg, hillclimb events) won’t deliver the same level of feedback.

The device also features all the must-haves for track racers such as current lap, best lap and a delta to let you know how you’re doing on this lap vs your best lap.

The Catalyst has a recommended retail price of $999, which would make it around R16 000 for the full package. We will update this when we get local pricing and when it will be available.

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