General Motors has an option on the
2015 Chevrolet Corvette that takes those worries away. The latest version of the sports car, due out in September, has a feature that records where the car goes with a camera mounted in the windshield trim.
It also captures audio in the cabin as well as speed, engine revolutions per minute, gear position and G-force.
GM says it's the most extensive attempt by an automaker to thwart valet joyriders, although it's not the first.
With the
Corvette, once the owner activates the feature with a four-digit code, the touch screen tells the driver it's in Valet Mode. But it doesn't warn the valet that he's being recorded. "Think of it as a baby monitor for your car,"
Corvette Product Manager Harlan Charles said in a statement.
All 2015 model year Corvettes fitted with the Cosworth-developed Performance Data Recorder - the onboard camera and datalogging system - will now be available with a new Valet Mode.
Once activated by entering a secret code on the dash, this spy in the cab allows owners to lock the glovebox, disable the infotainment system - and now record hi-def video and audio and other vehicle data, such as speed and g-force, while the car is with the valet
The video can be viewed instantly on the eight-inch in-car screen, so when you get your treasured car back you can check immediately what it's been through while it was out of your care - and adjust the tip accordingly.
Source : www.youtube.com ( Chevrolet Channel )