10 LS Easter Eggs and Hidden Features
We would never need a holiday to talk about our LS-powered favorites, but it doesn't hurt either.
1. Lifetime engine revolution counter
Leave it to Chevrolet to put quirks in their cars only gearheads would find cute. On the engine of the first-generation, '53 Corvettes, Chevrolet included a lifetime engine revolution counter that tallied each and every engine rev. It's pretty questionable whether anyone nowadays would want to show each other their "rev scores," let alone when the Corvette brand was first new. Nonetheless, Chevrolet has kept this useless quirk in their designs; the LERC has been verified for the 2014 Stingray at least. If nothing else, upholding this little Easter egg goes to show how charmingly infatuated Chevrolet are with their past.
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2. Manually deactivating traction control
If you're a true-to-form gearhead and want to assume total control of your Camaro, there's a way you can turn off your traction control and launch control. Holding down the traction control button for at least 7 seconds manually deactivates this feature. Given how much this feature affects drivability, however, you should only test this out if you have a real handle on driving without assistance.
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3. Jake appears on the ZL1 intake snorkel
Even if you don't know Jake, Corvette's veritable racing mascot, by name, you've probably seen the logo before. The edgy skull logo has become practically synonymous with Corvette as a racing brand. To commemorate this reputation, an embossed image of the mascot skull is found on all 2009 incarnations of the ZL1.
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4. The modern Stingray's impressive reverse speed
The 2014 Stingray was the first time Corvette had used the Stingray nameplate in decades. They had to give it some great specs to account for the occasion. Among the lesser known ones, the modern Stingray has a listed maximum reverse speed of 53 MPH. While this isn't a GM design Easter egg in the strictest sense, it's not likely casual owners would ever get close enough to find out for themselves.
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5. Near-perfect pound-per-horsepower ratio
If you've ever driven with a 6.2-liter LT1 V-8 engine (they're used to power C7 Corvettes) you're in for an interesting tidbit. Taking the performance exhaust into account and driving the Corvette Stingray, the LT1 V-8 was officially rated at 460 horsepower. As a 465 lb. engine, it's pretty neat to think you're getting very nearly one horse per pound. By weight of comparison, an actual horse can way as much as 2200 lbs. Random facts like this are enough to make you stop in awe of the kind of progress that's been made with motor engineering.
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6. Tap-sensitive turn signals
This is a quick little trick, verified for the 2009 edition of the Camaro. By tapping the turn signal in your chosen direction (rather than shifting it) the turn signal will blink three times before returning to normal on its own. This easy technique is perfect if you're doing breezy lane changes and applying the signal more so as legality.
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7. Recommended tire pressure on driver door
This Easter egg isn't restricted to GM vehicles; nonetheless, it is surprising how many car owners aren't aware of it. Generally speaking, the optimum pressure for car tires falls somewhere between 30-35 PSI. While most drivers know this already, your specific manufacturer includes that information on the metal thinnest width of the door. You can only see this writing by opening up the door, which shouldn't be a problem if you're pumping your tires.
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8. Turn signal turn-off reminders
This one's been checked out for the C7 Corvette. If you've left your turn signals active for at least 45 seconds, you'll get a reminder to turn them off. Although turn signals are universally designed to turn off after completing your turn, this feature comes in handy for those slight turns and failed lane changes that often come with highway driving.
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9. Pull-tightened seatbelts
If you have buckled yourself in but the seatbelt's still too loose, GM offers a clever solution on virtually all of their trucks and cars. Pull the seatbelt out away from you as far as it reasonably goes. When you loosen your grip, it should return tighter than before. If you've ever been annoyed by the need to adjust a finicky seatbelt, you can thank GM for perfecting a mechanism that should make fine-tuning safety a thing of the past.
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10. All-American hieroglyphics
This is as true an Easter egg as we've ever seen. If you've ever driven around in a 1996 Corvette convertible, you were inadvertently driving around with a hot dog, baseball bat and apple pie as stowaways. Well, their metal etchings, at the very least. Underneath the carpets behind the right passenger seat, these three symbols were inscribed beside a Chevrolet logo. The obvious associations with American culture are overwhelming and definitely intentional. This little Easter egg was inspired by one of Chevy's classic marketing slogans: "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet." Any '96 Corvette owner would have had no way to find it, save for if they were dismantling their vehicle piece by piece. In any case, for the few of us that know about it, it's impossible not to feel endeared by it.
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