The C7 Corvette has many technological advancements that are really cool to use. One of them is the Performance Data Recorder (PDR) system. Normally, this is a system that records the car’s g-meter readings and performance measurements while you’re flinging the plastic fantastic around a racecourse of some kind, but it has a really useful second feature: In Valet mode, it becomes a recording tattletale that films and records how the car was treated, which can be reviewed later. In Dan Cowles’ case, his C7 didn’t get the kid gloves treatment he was expecting when he had his Corvette parked at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. He hands over the car, and the driver rolls into the parking garage. As soon as he thinks nobody is around, he gives the throttle a good whack and does a 0-50mph run before putting the car up. For a bonus point, the valet managed to tap the nose into the wall of the parking structure as he parked the car. Way to go, genius.
Cowles showed the evidence to the valet’s boss, but it’s unknown if any disciplinary actions were taken. It’s also unknown if Cowles took any action on his own accord, but we’ll be the first to say that it was justifiable. Click play below and see if you don’t agree with us:
I have to say this whole valet parking thing intrigues me… not sure it actually exists in Australia, or at least I’ve never experienced it…so it seems to go – nice / expensive / powerful car – hmmm, better let a 17 year old kid park it….uh, what? And watching this clip its not like he’s parking it a million miles away either…I think I’d rather park my own damn car, put the keys in my pocket, and walk an extra 60 feet from the car park….
Holy crap that’s an awesome feature! Every car should come with that option. I put my Cummins into full economy mode when it went in for body work lately. Sometimes its too tempting to the kid making minimum wage.
I’m on team valet. If it was my car I wouldn’t have cared much (unless the nose is all scuffed up)
I hate leaving my Barracuda anywhere. I took it to have it aligned. I asked the service guy if his mechanic knew how to drive a fourspeed. He said of course. Went to pick the car up later. It was parked outside with the a833 Trans completely locked up. No one would take responsibility for it. Don’t even want to think about what it took to get the car into the parking spot.