New Device Helps to Gauge How Well a Car is Being Driven
Many driving enthusiasts would like to improve their performance behind the wheel, but that is not always easy. One indication of superb driving, for example, is a delicate, sensitive handling of the car, but often it is hard to gauge such smoothness.
All that has changed with the availability of the “g.analyst,” the serious driver’s newest and best friend.
The g.analyst is a thoughtfully designed, computerized device with the remarkable ability to tell us in detail how we’ve performed in braking, accelerating or cornering. It was developed by Mike Valentine, one of the country’s most serious auto enthusiasts and a force behind the invention of the Escort radar detector.
Neat stuff is never cheap, and the g.analyst sells for $379--not exorbitant, considering its capabilities and the fact that $200 radar detectors are now common.
As the name implies, the g.analyst measures the “g-forces” produced in a car. A g is a measure of the force of gravity and the g.analyst essentially measures the force put on a body by such activities as a car’s acceleration, braking or cornering.
While the g.analyst may look formidable, it is not much more complicated to install than a radar detector, with the power being provided through the cigarette lighter socket.
Calibrate Settings
After it is installed, it takes a couple of minutes to calibrate the g.analyst for factors such as the sideways roll and front-to-rear pitch rate of your car, factors determined by the type of suspension. All that is required is reading a simple chart to tell you what the settings should be for various cars.
When the g.analyst is set up, it is time to see just how good you are.
Basically, what the g.analyst does is record the g forces on the car during acceleration, braking or turns. The number of g’s reads out instantly on the display unit, along with a graph that charts the buildup and flow of the gravitational force.
The g.analyst records up to eight minutes of that information, so it can be played back on the screen of the hand-held control unit and examined in detail. Interpreting the data is simple, thanks to a new book, “Expert Driving,” by Pat Bedard, a writer for Car and Driver magazine and a racer who qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1983 and 1984.
In the book that comes with the g.analyst, Bedard explains the techniques for smooth, fast driving, how to practice them and how to use the g.analyst to evaluate your skill and improve it.
For example, in analyzing how you handled a turn, the graph shows whether you entered the turn properly and smoothly. If not, it will show where you messed up. If your driving was too choppy or if you entered the turn too soon or too late, the g.analyst will let you know where you went wrong.
The g.analyst can be a tremendous help to anyone who is serious about improving driving skills. And, if competition is your idea of automotive fun, the g.analyst is as important as knowing where to find the steering wheel.
