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Chevy monitors drivers' biometrics while experiencing new Corvette Stingray

We tell you about what a car is like to drive every day, remarking on throttle response, steering weight and feedback, squat, dive, brake fade and a dozen or more other factors of performance. What we can't tell you, though, is what the car does to us - how its performance impacts us, physically. That's what makes this video series from Chevrolet so darn cool.
The Bow-Tie brand rented out Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, got several (very) different individuals together, strapped a bunch of sensors to their bodies to record biometric data ranging from heart rate to respiration to brain activity, and then handed them keys to the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The results are explained in a series of videos, devoted to each driver, showing how different people react to the Corvette's performance.
If, like your author, you're a nerd for medical science, this is going to be a fascinating set of videos. If not, it's still pretty cool to see how the body of someone with racing experience, like Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi, reacts to tracking a car like the Corvette Stingray compared to the owner of legendary Detroit barbecue joint, Slows BBQ. Take a look below for all six videos from the series, or hop over to the Corvette Vimeo channel for the interactive experience, where you can see all the different metrics.

GM promises to add 20 EVs and fuel-cell cars to lineup, paid for by SUVs

DETROIT — General Motors outlined plans on Monday to add 20 new battery electric and fuel-cell vehicles to its global product lineup by 2023, financed by robust profits from sales of gasoline-fueled trucks and sport utility vehicles in the United States and China. "General Motors believes in an all-electric future," GM global product development chief Mark Reuss said on Monday during a briefing at the company's suburban Detroit technical center. Future generations of GM electric vehicles "will be profitable," Reuss said, but added it was not clear when GM could make all its new vehicle offerings zero-emission electric cars. Regulators in China and some European countries have floated proposals to ban internal combustion engines by 2030 or 2040. "We will continue to make sure our internal combustion engines will get more and more efficient," Reuss said. GM shares were up more than 4 percent in midday New York trading on positive comments from Rod Lache, auto analyst at Deutsche Bank. Automakers, including electric vehicle market leader Tesla, lose money on electric cars because battery costs are still higher than comparable internal combustion engines. The company offered sneak peeks of three EV prototypes: a Buick SUV, a sporty Cadillac wagon and a futuristic pod car wearing a Bolt badge. GM funds its forays into new technology using a river of cash generated by old-technology vehicles popular with its core customer base in the United States heartland. In comparison, Tesla has burned through an estimated $10 billion in cash and has yet to show a full year profit. GM earned more than 90 percent of its $12.5 billion in pretax profits last year in North America, amid robust demand for its lineup of large sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. The company's profitable operations in China rely on consumer demand for an expanding lineup of gasoline powered SUVs. GM has previously announced plans to make some of its future electric vehicles capable of driving themselves in robot taxi fleets. The company offered sneak peeks of three electric vehicle prototypes: a Buick brand sport utility vehicle, a sporty Cadillac wagon and a futuristic pod car wearing a Bolt badge. GM collaborated with Korean battery maker LG Chem to build the Bolt battery system. Company officials did not say what companies would supply batteries for the larger fleet of vehicles promised by 2023. Fuel-cell vehicles will also play a role in GM's future, the company said.

Chevy, Kid Rock in Confederate flag row with civil rights group

Two of Detroit's own are ensnared in controversy today. In an interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly, mulleted musician Kid Rock told those protesting the Confederate Battle Flag to "kiss my ass." Now, Chevrolet, which is sponsoring Rock's summer concert tour, is under fire for its support. "We are committed to our sponsorship of Kid Rock's summer tour and are confident that he will provide his fans, many of whom are proud Chevrolet owners, with a spectacular concert experience that celebrates American Freedom," a Chevy spokesperson told The Detroit Free Press last week. The company also uses the Kid Rock anthem Born Free in its pickup truck advertising. The company's position is not sitting well with the Detroit chapter of the National Action Network, though, which has called on GM to pull its support for the embattled artist. "It's obvious to us that, by supporting [Rock], while he's making inflammatory statements, General Motors becomes an accomplice if they allow him their support to stand behind his statements," the Rev. Charles Williams II, NAN's Detroit chapter director, told the Freep. As controversial as Rock's comments are, it's not entirely clear when the last time he actually waved that flag was. The Freep reports that several concertgoers don't recall seeing the flag during his most recent tour, or even over the last few years of concerts. In a 2002 interview with the paper, Rock, real name Robert Ritchie, said that the flag had been used as a symbol of southern rock and a rebel spirit, saying: "It's not about hatred or being a racist. I like Southern rock music, and a lot of people died under that flag for beliefs they had, right or wrong. But it stands for rebel, and my love of Southern rock." Related Video: