Auto Tech Plastics is the maker of the new Flex Woody kit. For $899, they’ll give you a set of contact appliques and plastic trim that extend over the tops of the doors and the hatch area for a more seamless Woody look. The simulated grain apes teak and oak for a classic appearance not unlike that seen at this past weekend’s Pebble Beach Concours, right alongside several Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang replicas and Colonel Klink’s staff car. The Woody kit’s guaranteed for three years, so peeling worries should be confined to your pasty skin.

You will have to apply the textures yourself–it looks easier than an Ikea bookshelf, but maybe some help would be a good thing. Auto Tech also offers professional installation, though they claim an 80-year-old grandmother has installed one.  Call 800-447-8410 if you’re itching to one-up her, or cruise to their Web site.

At a Lincoln backgrounder during the Pebble Beach Concours weekend, Ford president of the Americas Mark Field said the SYNC system would indeed be available in the Fiesta from launch.

Earlier this month, I sat in the new Fiesta at the London auto show and had doubts as to where the existing SYNC would fit, but a ride this week in the 2009 Ford Escape shows the way–instead of using a touchscreen interface like that on upscale Ford models, the Fiesta likely will use a set of buttons and a slim readout screen like the one on the new Escape.

Fitting SYNC in the Fiesta is just one of the tasks ahead for Ford. Last week, the company said it was putting 40 engineers on a new tech team devoted to in-car connectivity, and prior to that, the company committed to making the Fiesta and 2011 Ford Focus the highest-quality cars in their segments.

To be built in Mexico, the new Ford Fiesta arrives in both four- and five-door versions in early 2010.  Stay tuned as we bring you more as the model rollout continues.

For the first time we can see the proper hood sculpting, and an almost completely clean look at the character development on the Panamera’s side panels–including the fender vent just aft of the front wheel.  A little cladding still remains on the front bumper, on the rear flanks below the taillights, and on the taillights themselves.  Some minor tape effects also remain, but do nothing to  obscure the car’s shape. Other than that, this Panamera prototype looks to be running around naked, finally embracing its birthday suit.

The Panamera will have a choice of three front-mounted engines when it finally bows. The entry-level powerplant will be a VW six-cylinder with more than 300 hp. Porsche’s own V-8s with 350 hp and 560 hp are expected, the latter with twin turbos.

There will also be a hybrid version, which will share its gas-electric running gear with the Cayenne Hybrid, which was introduced at the 2007 Los Angeles auto show. Porsche promises a 30-percent boost in fuel economy with the hybrid technology. To achieve better weight balance, the Panamera Hybrid will stow its battery under the cargo floor, and the clutch and electric motor will live between the engine and transmission. And to keep efficiency high, the hybrid will be able to run in gas-only, electric-only, or in combined gas-electric mode.

When it hits the road in 2009, Porsche plans to sell 20,000 Panameras annually, which could push it over the company-wide number of 100,000  cars per year.

We expect the Panamera to make its world debut at the 2009 Geneva motor show.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that the quartet of cute-utes gets the top rating for their performances in front side and rear impact tests. The IIHS notes that for the first time in this class, all the tested vehicles had standard electronic stability control, which makes them all “Top Safety Picks” by the agency’s measures.

The IIHS adds that the Escape’s ratings apply to its cosmetic twins, the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute–and gave special notice to the Tiguan, which “sailed” through its crash tests.

Not faring so well is the two-door 2008 Jeep Wrangler. The IIHS reports its test–performed without optional side airbags–performed worse in a crash test than a previous test in a Wrangler where the side airbags weren’t even available. The new rating for side impacts in the Wrangler is “poor,” and the IIHS says the Jeep’s driver door opened during impact.

Also tested were the Chevrolet Equinox and Jeep Patriot, which have optional side airbags. The Equinox and Pontiac Torrent will be re-tested as 2009 models, since side airbags will be standard equipment.

Drum roll please.

Introducing the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 in all of its 638-horsepower-from-a-hand-built-supercharged-V8-that-doesn’t-need-no-overhead-cams-to-go-fast glory.

Production has started in Bowling Green and the first vehicles will arrive at dealers before the end of September. Due to production constraints traced to the limited availability of some carbon fiber pieces and the carbon-ceramic brakes, production will be limited to around 2,000 units.

Chevrolet dealers across the country have already laid claim to these cars. Expect to see initial mark ups. Ignore the happy profit takers, sit back, pop a cold one, and watch the parade of schmucks pay over sticker. Our bet is that ZR1s will be selling at sticker (or below) before the 2010 model year. It’s not that we don’t love the Corvette ZR1 and think that its $103,300 sticker isn’t a huge value—it is—we just know what the market holds for cars like this. It pays to wait. Need proof? Go shopping for a few-year-old Z06 or a mid-90s ZR1.

Not that the above should pop your bubble or anything, because the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is one heck of a car. I half expected a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde kind of personality. But the ZR1 is not two-faced. On the road it is as driveable as any other Corvette. It may be even nicer than some because the magnetic ride control manages to smooth out the road despite the Michelin PS2 run-flat tires that have an aspect ratio of 30 in front and only 25 in the rear. (Them are some skinny sidewalls!) We put about 100 miles on the ZR1 on the roads around GM’s Milford Proving Grounds, and these are Michigan roads, complete with pot holes, frost heaves, and cracked pavement. Despite these real-world and imperfect road conditions, the ZR1 rode more than acceptably and the interior refused to squeak or rattle.

After the on-road driving we headed to the track where we could experience what genuinely separates the ZR1 from any other Corvette. About 133 horsepower, to be exact. The LS9’s supercharger can generate 10.5 psi of boost as its twin-four-lobed rotors compress 2.3 liters of air with every rotation. The air is cooled with a compact air-to-liquid intercooler that features a hand-welded reservoir located just forward of the driver’s-side front tire. It looks like a race-shop piece because it is. Very cool. To support the 638 horsepower at 6500 rpm, this engine also produces 604 lb-ft of torque at a low 3800 rpm. Ninety percent of this torque is on tap from 2600-6000 rpm, so you can even be a ham-fisted shifter and still drive pretty quickly.

With 638 horses (133 more than the Z06), the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 can generate ferocious zero-60 mph times. Chevrolet claims 3.4 seconds along with an 11.3 second quarter with a trap of 131 mph. The wind doesn’t conquer the motor until 205 mph.

Of course, your performance may vary … our did.

We drove the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 at General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan. It was a beautiful day in August clouded only by warnings from Chevy PR folks and safety officials regarding the potential for wadding up one of their $100,000 Corvettes. The risk was real, as the Milford Road Course is an extremely technical track with plenty of blind corners and off-camber turns that could not be mastered with a couple of familiarity laps. (Look up the track’s layout using Google Earth.)

The results of my on-track time are available for all to see, and can be compared to the runs performed by Corvette development drivers who are among the best in the business (one currently holds the record for production cars at The Ring). They’re lots faster. In spite of my relative slowness, I still had a blast and learned plenty about the car.

The power comes on like a smooth explosion, and you can call up successive concussions with your right foot. The sound is wonderful (turn your speakers up when you watch the video). Equally wonderful are the carbon-ceramic brakes with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear clampers. I found out that these brakes smell just like conventional brakes when they get hot … a function of the pad material, not the disc itself. The folks from Brembo claim that the discs will last the life of the car in “normal” use, whatever that is for a ZR1. (You know they factored in track days.) Handling limits are very high, but my time on the track was so limited that I was not able to get comfortable enough to explore the car’s formidable limits. I did ride with an engineer who could run those limits ragged, and the car did itself proud. It corners so hard that it takes considerable energy to just hold your head straight.

So now the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a reality. Is the world ready for a $100,000 Vette? Who cares? It’s here. Supercar lovers around the world can rejoice.

Stay tuned for TheCarConnection.com’s review summary and full review, but in the meantime, savor some high-res ZR1 photos here.

While you’re waiting with bated breath, you can also take a look over at our full set of ZR1 photos while we prep the final pixels on our Corvette driving piece:

GM says its “GMnext Day” will “focus on the future of automotive transportation.” Starting at 8:30 in the morning Detroit time, the automaker will start with a live global broadcast to its home crowd and to its outposts in Europe, Asia, South America and next door in Mexico. The broadcast, GM says, will talk about new technology and new products, “along with a few newsworthy surprises.”

Throughout the day, starting at 10:30 in the morning, GM will put its execs in a chat room on their Web site, GMnext.com, to talk about the events. Then in the afternoon, industry experts will hold a roundtable that explores the future of transportation. And finally, GM will host an “Everyday Heroes” event that will recap the day’s events.

Keep track of the day’s events at the GM Web site, and stay tuned to this space, too, where you’ll be able to watch a live stream of the events as they unfold.

GM says effective now through September 2, you’ll be able to get the same price a GM employee would get for a 2008 model-year vehicle–or even some 2009 model-year GM cars and trucks. All GM’s brands are included, too: Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Saturn, Cadillac, Saab and HUMMER.

The company says it’s celebrating its 100th anniversary with the move, but with a big $15.5 billion loss in the second quarter and sales dropping all this year, it’s more likely a spur to move minds on to the 2009 model year.

Excluded from the deal are 2008 medium duty trucks–but in exchange, some 2009s, including the Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR, Cadillac CTS, Pontiac Vibe and G5 are in on the pricing deal.

The major news is a mildly revamped front end. The Civic’s bumper gets a few more creases and a newly styled grille, along with new taillights and clear lens covers. New alloy wheels also appear on the highest trim levels of the Civic–EX, EX-L and Si–and the Si models also get fog lamps.

Inside, the Civic lineup adds Bluetooth and a USB audio interface, but the former’s only available with the navigation system package and the latter, only on the EX, EX-L, Hybrid and Si models. Civic Hybrid models also get optional leather seating. All Civics get new interior fabrics. As for safety,the Civic Hybrid and EX-L now get standard stability control.

Honda also is adding two new models to the Civic lineup. The Civic DX Value Package takes the entry-level sedan and adds standard air conditioning and a sound system with an auxiliary jack, while the LX-S model puts new wheels and some new interior trim on the LX model, along with a rear spoiler and a polished exhaust tip.

All powertrains are carried over from the 2008 model year.

But what’s it like to put in major seat time inside the Fit–where you’ll be spending all of your commuting hours? Here’s what makes the Fit’s interior so noteworthy for such a compact car (click any of the photos to see what we mean, full-size):

Instrument panel follows a flowing—yet very functional—form, with plenty of storage cubbies, well-positioned vents, and controls angled slightly toward the driver. The base of the windshield is far ahead, yet combined with the high seating position and low beltline, outward visibility is great.

Double glovebox can hide all your electronics and personal items out of sight. There’s space for a small purse in the upper one.

The steering wheel now adds telescopic adjustment, a much-needed improvement; pedal placement is still too close for taller drivers.

The front seats in the Fit Sport were firm and supportive—provided you’re on the smaller side of average. This lanky 6’-6” driver found nowhere to rest his knee, which could bring fatigue on a long highway drive. But an armrest? An unexpected surprise on a car in this class!

Integrated, retractable rear headrests never need to be removed (and possibly be lost) to fold the seat down.

Grab handles now retract with a damped, smooth motion rather than poke outward.

One of few disappointments: Put my knee down to fold the seat forward, and the cardboard cargo floor flexed downward ominously.

Anchoring for the rear seatbelts pretty much bisects the rearmost side window.

Just one easy lift of this lever and a gentle push forward is all it takes to fold the seat forward. The lower cushion repositions itself automatically. No more sliding the front seats forward, tilting the lower cushions forward, pulling clunky mechanisms, folding, then wedging the front seats back.

Fit Sport with Navigation comes with voice-activated functions plus steering-wheel audio controls. And oddly, it’s the way to get electronic stability control.

Gauge cluster gets the same deep-dish look that the entire Honda and Acura line has been given recently.

Chunky climate control knobs—as most of the Fit’s switchgear—have a sturdy feel and flank the navi screen or audio system. The only disappointment here is below the A/C button, where the recirculation lever looks and feels as if it were lifted from a long-lost parts bin.

Little front side window gets its own defroster vent…though it’s not really in the field of vision for most driving or parking maneuvers.

Character creases that run through the grille and hood bring more complexity to the front-end design.