When you think about the name Garmin, you probably think about the company’s many and varied navigation or personal fitness products. But did you know that Garmin also makes action cameras that have features that even GoPro can’t beat? The camera in question is called the Virb XE, and using the power of data, it looks to dethrone the current camera king.
The big feather in the cap of the Virb camera line is its integrated telemetry monitoring. Using a multitude of built-in sensors that monitor position, speed g-forces and orientation, the Virb XE can overlay a multitude of data points directly into that video. That means that you can have your speed, track position, or g-forces directly overlaid on your video to provide better context to the footage. The content displayed is also customizable so you can set it up for exactly what you need.
For the racers out there, Garmin has also just announced an add-on accessory called the G-Metrix that attaches to your car’s ODB-II port. That means that the Virb can have direct access to the car’s diagnostic info to provide even more info like engine temps, throttle position, torque and more. You can now have what amounts to a full-scale racing telemetry system in your car, and all it takes is one camera and an OBD-II dongle.
If you already own a Virb, you can buy the G-Metrix dongle separately, but for the rest of us, Garmin is offering a Virb XE Auto Racing Bundle that includes the Virb XE and the G-Metrix in a single package along with a suction mount. The OBD-II dongle is $120 on its own, and the Auto Racing Bundle is $499. Buying the kit saves you almost $50 over buying all the pieces on their own, so it seems like a solid deal, and it’s available now.
