Monitoring the performance of anything can be used either for improving it in the future by noticing the errors made in the past, or for bragging about it in front of your friends. Corvette’s Performance Data Recorder is pretty good in both of these aspects.
Dashboard cameras are very common in our times, not to mention useful. These little gadgets can help us confirm how a particular incident happened (see the tons YouTube videos featuring car accidents from Russia), just in case the other involved party has a totally different version, or they can attest that the car we’re driving reached a certain speed (even though I would recommend driving prudently at all times). The Performance Data Recorder that will be integrated in the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, is a lot more than that, as it literally transforms the drive into something resembling a video game.
GM ditched traditional dashboard cameras for an HD cam placed right in Corvette Stingray’s headliner. The world’s transitioning to 4K TVs and cameras, so our drive should be recorded in at least 720p. Picking a better camera shouldn’t have been a problem, considering the price of this muscle car (it starts at under $51K, but can go up to $115+), the only impediment being the storage. Video recorded in 1080p typically results in very large files, and the SD card inserted in the glove department can only hold so much information.
One thing should be mentioned, though: Corvette’s Performance Data Recorder isn’t for casual drivers, as it was built with track-day enthusiasts in mind. After recording everything, the system overlays additional data on the screen, including, but not resuming to speed, engine RPM, and current gear. The GPS sensor included in this platform is said to be five times more accurate than the navigation system included in the car. Data collected from the high-resolution GPS sensor is made available as a track map. Once the Performance Data Recorder hits the market, I assume that there will be a lot more videos shot by extravagant drivers on YouTube.
The downside is that the Performance Data Recorder won’t be available to all Stingray drivers. Instead, GM plans to make this platform available as an extra, and it’s anyone’s guess that it will cost a lot of money.
If you liked this post, please check the 2015 Hyundai Genesis equipped with Google Glass and the Android-based in-car platform developed by Google and Audi.
