phantasms

Chevrolet just sent me the footage from my time at the Corvette Stingray Precision Drive event. The footage itself isn't much to look at. The guy two cars ahead of us was all over the place and I was too focused on him and it had me way off my game. Not that my game is that good anyways.

However what I'd like to know is how did GM get this overlay onto this video? This must be something that is built into the car that we can tap into right? I'd love to be able to have this to combine with a camera for track days.

What's the deal?

Best,
Gene

phantasms

Perhaps this should be moved to the tech section.

dvandentop

looks cool wonder if that is the performance data recorder they are possibly going to have in later models.

also damn those guys ahead of you were really lolly gagging around the track

flatcrank

Maybe that's what's in the UQT and UVF options.

SCM_Crash

That's what I was thinking.


I'm still hoping it is something we can add after we've already taken delivery of our cars since the option was dangled in front of our faces while we were ordering.

phantasms

Yeah seriously. I did like 105 on the back straight and other groups were doing 120+ . It was literally the slowest I've ever driven around that track.

VIN666

Question: Why is the resolution so crappy???
Did you downscale it?

Looks like an interesting setup.
Wonder if you'll be able to change the layout... Sure seems like it.

The cameras were mounted in the rear view mirror and the a pillar I assume.
Did you notice them? I mean, where they abvious, like say, go pros, or were they mounted in the vehicle in a way that would suggest they are there permanently?

Please fill us in!

flatcrank

That lack of information is delaying my order.

I wonder if anyone at GM realizes just how poorly their sales engine is running?

SCM_Crash

Honestly, it almost delayed mine too.

What I realized is, is that I don't and won't track the car nearly enough to make delaying the purchase worth it. I sold my C5 Z06 back in May and I've been going through SERIOUS withdraw. Had I not sold the C5 Z06 and found out that my order would happen in May next year to get this option, I would have been OK with delaying selling the car and waiting.

However, I want my C7! And there are things I can use in place of this system if I wanted, but I'd rather have the OEM version.

flatcrank

I understand the motivation of an empty space in the garage and a missed track day. The other side of it for me is buying the car and not regretting waiting another month or three. Perhaps GM thinks they're better off suckering the early adopters today and not wanting fully informed customers to make well-judged decisions. At least, that's the mode of operations, whether it's their intent to be vague and unreliable, that's the situation.

If you want the car and accept the price for a car sight unseen and have no qualms about paint quality, fit and finish, or even production line quality (like putting fluids in the car ... or simple squeaks and rattles that mean time off road, time with dealer staff moving your car around, etc.) then you get the joy of driving this fall instead of next spring.

In stark contrast, ordering a GT3 from Porsche, they have a team of people outside the regular dealership to assist in providing exact details on your order and what's possible with the car (an entirely new model for them, too, so this is a fair apples-to-apples comparison, plus Porsche goes to the same trouble with an entry level priced Boxster at $50,400, so it's not a matter of paying for quality of service during the sales process.

I ordered the GT3 and I've been kept appraised of progress. Three months out, I had a build month, then a few weeks ago, a build date and a fixed day ETA in February for the car to be off a ship and sitting rusting at the local dealership.

I ordered the C7 and GM couldn't tell me when they'd build it, what would be in the cabin in terms of what's fabric, what's leather, what's "real" carbon fiber and what's "real" carbon fiber overlaid on a plastic backing, etc. There was no way of knowing if or when the comp seats would be available till they were available that very day. And on that day, the dealer sales person happened to take an extra 24 hours to get around to sitting in front of his computer and lo and behold, the comp seats were no longer available. That's poor business. Tough on the sales person, and a poor display of incompetence to the customer.

GM needs to go to a rational supply-side production management model where they plan ahead in a way that provides information, consistency and reliability to the customer.

I tried the GM site "chat" and the person there, "Brian" didn't know if the comp seats had ventilation like the GT seats. Couldn't find it for a fact, just an assumption. He looked at his "resources" and asked others but nobody would confirm or deny that UQT and UVF even exist.

I wanted to ask more technical questions, but what's the point if they don't even know the base spec of the car?

F'rinstance, there's no such thing as track rubber for 20 inch wheels. The Stingray comes with 20's unless you get the Z51 -- can I order aftermarket 19's front and rear so I can run Hoosiers? Would this void any warranty or upset the electronics? Would the 19 clear the suspension and brake caliper? What's the offsets?

I'll have to wait for an owner to do the work with a third party wheel maker like HRE to get it right.

Porsche can answer these questions (sadly, the answer is no, 19's won't clear the front caliper with the 410mm ceramic rotors, and customers are encouraged to use road rubber, not slicks, on the track (?!) though they stop short of expressly stating the warranty will be voided to any extent.)

Anyway, early days, I'm happy to wait and let price work in my favor. Come Jan/Feb next year, quality will surely have improved, more features and options will show up, the early adopters will have their cars in garages for the winter, and I'll cool my heels till GM addresses the track-oriented segment of Vette enthusiasts.

Michael A

This can be done with an AiM Sports Smartycam and Solo units. Good luck navigating their website though. Fortunately, I think their products are better than their website.

Michael

flatcrank

True, there's a wide market of products from simple GPS camera stuff to full bore data acquisition systems with sensors for suspension, brake pressure, you name it. If GM has integrated that into the Stingray, I'm happy to wait and use the built-in kit rather than have something hanging off the roll bar or suction cupped here and there. I use a RaceKeeper in another car and it's very good, but it's a lot of cameras and wires, AD bridges and OBD connector hanging off the car. It comes down to the data acquisition sample frequency and the quality of the software. I kind of hope the GM option just writes a file that can be manipulated in software from one of the pro data acq companies.

Rob Willis

Still no news of this trickling out, eh?

flatcrank

I've not heard anything and neither factory option appears to be orderable (is Z51 orderable at the moment?) My order is on indefinite hold till quality improves. I'm happy to wait out the winter and see what's on offer in the spring.