[Turbo_J89]

I got a SS 1LE w/ PDR because your car is worth about $1000 more with it. To me, it seems like a no brainier...get PDR. It doesn't even matter if you use it unless this is going to be your car until it goes to the junkyard.

[Boost Creep]

Originally Posted by MATTY-1LE

PDR yes worth it, HUD, i never use that thing

I want to like the HUD, I try to like the HUD, but between polarized sunglasses washing it out in the day making it hard to see, and the display itself blocking out incoming pot holes at night, I don't use it as much as I'd like.
The roads have been partially patched from last winter so the number of holes is down some, I have been able to get some use out of the HUD recently.

[Whitespeed]

I somewhat regret not getting it. I was going by the youtube videos that I'd seen, and the video and audio quality are abysmal by today's standards. They're worse than my 8 year old gopro, and not particularly entertaining to watch as a consequence. Also, the number of datalogged channels that are overlaid on the video were not all that impressive. A cheap sub $20 phone app with a bluetooth OBD2 link can film and log nearly as much. And smartphones are ubiquitous these days, so I don't count the cost of the phone in the equation. You can buy a bluetooth OBD2 reader for as little as $20. If you really want top quality video, there are lots of good quality action cameras available now for a few hundred and you then also have flexibility of changing the perspective of the video. So, it was impossible to justify the PDR price based on that.

What I wasn't really aware of is how many channels get datalogged in the background with the pdr, and that's what makes it somewhat compelling if you really want to analyze the minutiae of your laps. For me personally, I see this as possibly having the biggest value as a troubleshooting tool years from now as the car ages. I wish they had an option of just the datalogging with GPS position that you could add your own video to, and leave their camera out, since the built in camera is a significant part of the pdr cost.

In summary, if you're not particularly tech savvy and want a simple, one button operation, or you can really see the value in the mountains of data you can get, this is worth it. If you just want some cool video to throw up on youtube, and/or maybe just some key data from track days, then not so much.

[JD_]

I bought a 2SS 1LE and wanted the PDR, but could not find one with the PDR that did not also have a sunroof (?!?!). Ended up getting one without the PDR and hope to acquire much of the same data via the TrackAddict app and the PLX Devices Kiwi 3 Bluetooth OBD2 OBDII Diagnostic Scan Tool. Supposedly it will log a lot of data and overlay it to the video from the TrackAddict app.

Anyone think I am being overly optimistic?

[Whitespeed]

Originally Posted by JD_

I bought a 2SS 1LE and wanted the PDR, but could not find one with the PDR that did not also have a sunroof (?!?!). Ended up getting one without the PDR and hope to acquire much of the same data via the TrackAddict app and the PLX Devices Kiwi 3 Bluetooth OBD2 OBDII Diagnostic Scan Tool. Supposedly it will log a lot of data and overlay it to the video from the TrackAddict app.

Anyone think I am being overly optimistic?

I've used RaceChrono and was pretty happy with the results. It logs and overlays time, speed and g's that you get with your phone with whatever else you want from OBD2 onto a map of the track and/or video. But keep in mind that OBD2 is limited to engine parameters like RPM, throttle position, air temperature, etc for engine diagnostics. You're not going to get steering angle, brake force, suspension travel, oil temperature etc. That's where the real benefit of the PDR comes from if that info is really useful to you.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by 800MXZ

I hope it is OK to ask - I am closing later this week on a 2018 1SS 1LE, and I have a choice between two cars the same color that I want (Hyper) but one has PDR, one does not.

Now that people have been living with the PDR for a year, is it worth $1300 to you?

I understand for the application to track the car where it can be invaluable, but for me outside of two or maybe three low lever AutoX events a year, it would just be a traffic camera.

Would you spend the $1300 on it twice?

Eh.. for basically street use and a little autocross? IMO no..

It's worth it for track use for sure, and you could always run a gopro then if you want higher quality video. (edit: to be clear, without the data.. but if you want your pretty youtube videos to post and have data with poor video to improve your driving with...)

For me, I wouldn't buy one without PDR (because I track the car also) so there COULD be a potential resale impact also by not getting it if you care about stuff like that.

[Boost Creep]

Originally Posted by Whitespeed

I somewhat regret not getting it. I was going by the youtube videos that I'd seen, and the video and audio quality are abysmal by today's standards. They're worse than my 8 year old gopro, and not particularly entertaining to watch as a consequence. Also, the number of datalogged channels that are overlaid on the video were not all that impressive. A cheap sub $20 phone app with a bluetooth OBD2 link can film and log nearly as much. And smartphones are ubiquitous these days, so I don't count the cost of the phone in the equation. You can buy a bluetooth OBD2 reader for as little as $20. If you really want top quality video, there are lots of good quality action cameras available now for a few hundred and you then also have flexibility of changing the perspective of the video. So, it was impossible to justify the PDR price based on that.

What I wasn't really aware of is how many channels get datalogged in the background with the pdr, and that's what makes it somewhat compelling if you really want to analyze the minutiae of your laps. For me personally, I see this as possibly having the biggest value as a troubleshooting tool years from now as the car ages. I wish they had an option of just the datalogging with GPS position that you could add your own video to, and leave their camera out, since the built in camera is a significant part of the pdr cost.

In summary, if you're not particularly tech savvy and want a simple, one button operation, or you can really see the value in the mountains of data you can get, this is worth it. If you just want some cool video to throw up on youtube, and/or maybe just some key data from track days, then not so much.

The video/sound I get replaying my SD cards through a cheap SD reader on my macbook is miles ahead of the crap PDR videos I've seen on youtube.

[Uncle Sam]

Originally Posted by Boost Creep

I want to like the HUD, I try to like the HUD, but between polarized sunglasses washing it out in the day making it hard to see, and the display itself blocking out incoming pot holes at night, I don't use it as much as I'd like.
The roads have been partially patched from last winter so the number of holes is down some, I have been able to get some use out of the HUD recently.

Dear Chevy,

HUD, no.

[Boost Creep]

Originally Posted by Uncle Sam

Dear Chevy,

HUD, no.

lol
In theory I really like it, just thought I'd be able to use it more.


Just to clarify my earlier post, you can see it in the day time, it's just all green in appearance with polarized sunglasses like first gen HUD, and you have to crank it all the way up.

[carguy55]

It's great to get the track and other performance data with the various overlay etc. Since I track the car it's invaluable to me. As a video camera the quality is low by today's standards, it only does 720p @ 30fps

[camaroJD]

Isn't the PDR getting a refresh with the '19s too? I swear I read it somewhere.

FWIW I fully intend on ordering it for my '19.

[DaggerMouth]

I use it daily as a dash cam and to film trips to mexico. Great addition to the car.

[800MXZ]

FWIW - I am closing a deal on a car in the morning on a car with the PDR, the choice to go with or without only steered me towards one dealer or another based on who had what

Thanks for the feedback

[MJP]

Originally Posted by MATTY-1LE

PDR yes worth it, HUD, i never use that thing

Is your HUD Crooked? Mine is canted over, not level.

My 2012 C-6 Corvette is dead nuts square on the Windshield.

I shut the HUD off in my Camaro. It gives me a stomach ache looking at that thing all over the place and out of alignment.
It makes me want to sit back on my seat and kick my feet through the Windshield.