GM throttles back on performance cars for 2010

It should not be a surprise, as General Motors scrambles to cut costs and cars sit unsold on dealers' lots, that the automaker is cutting high-performance versions of several vehicles for the 2010 model year. According to information from online ordering guides made available to GM dealers, the 2009 model year is the last for the Chevrolet Impala SS, the Pontiac G6 GXP and the Cadillac STS-V. Also, the SS trim in the Chevy Cobalt lineup will be limited to the coupe body style.

Toyota HSD concept

The Yaris HSD, as presented in Geneva, previews Toyota's intentions of bringing Hybrid technology to the B-Segment, as well as Toyota's full hybrid roll out across all models in its range. Retaining the familiar Yaris outwardly appearance (and previewing the next generation Yaris) the HSD is interspersed with ‘Hybrid' cues, to intimate at the hybrid powertrain beneath the body. From the pearl white paint to the light blue hue that illuminates certain aspects, there is an underlying emphasis on the fact that this car is a hybrid.

First Sight: Holden Torana concept

Holden has stolen the limelight at the opening of the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, unveiling a ground-up concept car dubbed the Torana TT36. The concept revives a famous Australian nameplate from the 1970s - appropriate since, like the original Torana, it features rear wheel drive and a six cylinder engine. That's where the similarities end, however, as the new Torana's engine is an experimental 280kW/490Nm twin turbocharged version of the new global V6 Holden has begun manufacturing for various parts of the GM world and which will eventually be used by Alfa Romeo.