There's a new baby monitor on the market, but it's not what you think.

In 2015, Chevrolet Corvette owners will have a new way to protect their “baby” when they drop it off with the valet at their favorite restaurant or lend it to Junior to take his date to the prom.

It's called “valet mode.”

When the Corvette's valet mode is turned on via a four-digit password, it automatically locks the interior storage areas, disables the infotainment system, and records video, audio and vehicle data while you're away from the car. No more wild joy rides like in “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” for thrill-seeking valets. The Performance Data Recorder (PDR) also captures the car's speed, engine RPM, gear position and g-force when the valet mode is active.

The system uses a high-definition camera cleverly hidden in the trim of the windshield header to record video from the driver's perspective and a dedicated microphone in the cabin to capture the audio. According to a Chevy press release, a self-contained telemetry recorder uses a GPS receiver “hardwired into the Stingray's controller area network to access vehicle information.” An SD-card in the glove box records and transfers both video and vehicle data, recording up to 200 minutes of driving time.

The owner can access all of this information from the car's 8-inch touch screen or download it to a computer. Corvette product manager Harlan Charles describes the system as a “baby monitor for your car,” allowing apprehensive owners to see first-hand exactly happened to their cars after they turned over the keys.

The system was originally designed for driving enthusiasts who wanted to monitor their track driving, but Chevrolet soon realized that it had other, more practical applications. To illustrate the advantages of the system, Chevy created a short video. The feature is part of an options package that will only be available on all 2015 Corvettes, which are scheduled to arrive at dealerships in a few weeks.

Special Reports /

Sorry valets, the 2015 Corvette is watching you. Here's how

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