By: jackie.sauter

There’s no doubt that times are tough for American auto dealers.

Nevertheless, GM is moving forward (and generating some buzz) with Stolen Vehicle Slowdown – their new OnStar technology.

It basically works like this: When a GM car is stolen, the victim calls OnStar for assistance. OnStar reps then use real-time GPS technology to locate the stolen vehicle and report it to law enforcement. Once the vehicle is found by police, they request OnStar slow down the stolen vehicle remotely by reducing engine power.

OnStar had representatives at the Laurel Park Race Track yesterday and allowed reporters to get a sneak peak of the technology inside a “stolen” Chevy Tahoe.

As you will see in the video below, we were not on the actual racetrack; we were in the parking lot outside. Still, I marveled at how quickly OnStar was able to remotely slow the vehicle we were driving.

See for yourself and watch the video below.

RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter