Ferris Bueller should think about borrowing one of these next time.
The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette is available with a camera-equipped Performance Data Recorder (PDR) that lets owners record their track sessions and road trips, overlaying the video playback with information like location, speed and engine operation. Very cool enthusiast stuff.
But it can also keep an eye on things when you’re not in the car.
The PDR comes matched with a password-enabled Valet Mode that locks the internal storage bins, disables the infotainment system and turns on the camera while the car is being driven, so you’ll have evidence of any parking lot mishaps or unauthorized joyrides, like the most infamous one depicted in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
It doesn’t restrict the power or performance of the Corvette the way the new Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat’s black “valet key” does, but acts more as a deterrent, at least to informed professional parkers.
And that’s a good thing, because with its digital odometer, running the Corvette in reverse to take off the miles isn’t going to work any better than it did in Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari.