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. And the SS will no longer be an option on the panel version of the HHR.

But GM is not totally swearing off performance. There is an SS trim for the 2010 Camaro, Cadillac offers the CTS-V, and there's always the Z06 and ZR1 versions of the Chevy Corvette.

By Dale Jewett