Chevrolet picked the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, to reveal one of the many new features that will arrive with the much-anticipated Corvette Z06. There is more information to come on this car when it is slated to be shown at the North American International Auto Show — in the meantime I can divulge it will be the hottest Corvette ever. Better dynamically than anything before it, and it has power to spare.
Car tech of the future takes centre stage at CES 2014 in Las Vegas</em>
The Performance Data Recorder (PDR), which was developed by Cosworth Engineering (the telemetry supplier for Corvette Racing), is a sophisticated system that combines a 720i windshield-mounted camera with a data recorder. It then marries the information gleaned from the vehicle with the running footage is one very slick video presentation.
Among other things, Track Mode allows the driver to track the car’s position and review the data from any given point on the lap.
Handout, GM
The driver can set the PDR up to record as much or as little data as required in one of four basic modes. Touring Mode only records the visual and audio from an in-car microphone (the sound of the ZO6 being pushed to the max around a race track is awe-inspiring to say the very least!). It does not overlay any data on the video — in Russia (and, perhaps, Canada) this mode will likely be very popular with those looking to absolve themselves of the responsibility for an on-road incident.
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Sport Mode overlays data like speed, rpm and the g-force generated through a corner. It also tracks steering input along with the selected gear and throttle and brake applications, all or none of which can be overlaid on the finished video. Performance Mode is aimed at capturing the details from things like a 0-100 kilometre an hour run or quarter-mile drag.
Among other things, Track Mode allows the driver to track the car’s position and review the data from any given point on the lap.
Handout, GM
The ultimate is the Track Mode, as it delivers as much information as the driver wants — everything from the data displayed in Sport plus it tracks the car’s progress around a race track and inserts a GPS-based map of the track into the top left-hand corner of the video. Among other things, this allows the driver to track the car’s position and review the data from any given point on the lap. It also allows the driver to drill down through all of the data collected and typically used to set a racecar up when it is being readied for a race — it monitors the data from over 30 separate streams.
The PDR’s benefits are manifold. For example, the information allows the driver to compare his line through a particular corner lap after lap and it gives the peak g-force generated in that corner. This information ultimately allows the driver to piece together the best possible lap by developing consistency through each of the corners that comprise a lap. This is lke having a driving coach along for the ride 24/7.
Both the video footage and data are stored on a dedicated SD card, which is housed in the glove box. An eight-gigabyte card can record approximately 200 minutes of information, while a 32-GB card stores over 13 hours of drive time.
Handout, GM
Both the video footage and data are stored on a dedicated SD-card, which is housed in the glove box. An eight-gigabyte card can record approximately 200 minutes of information, while a 32-GB card stores over 13 hours of drive time. Finally, the video can be viewed on the Corvette’s in-car screen when the vehicle is stationary or viewed and edited on a computer and uploaded to the social media site of choice.
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The demonstration video was impressive for two reasons. First, the quality is remarkably good and it does not suffer from the fisheye look evident with some mini cameras. Second, the manner in which the information is overlaid on the running footage renders a comlete and very professional-looking end product.
The Performance Data Recorder is an interesting extension that is sure to spread across GM’s portfolio — I can see it finding a home in the Cadillac ATS Coupe to be shown in Detroit for one!
