Washington  -  General Motors Corp has adequate funds from government loans to cover the worst-case scenario it described in December and won't need additional help unless the economy deteriorates further, it was reported Wednesday.

"The US Treasury's 13.4-billion-dollar bridge loan ... coupled with the separate transaction for GMAC, meets our liquidity needs under the scenarios outlined in our December plan to Congress," GM spokesman Greg Martin told Bloomberg financial news agency.

Munich - Modern aerodynamic car designs with wide window frames are obstructing visibility, especially to the rear and when changing lanes, according to a test conducted by Germany's ADAC automobile association.

Many car makers have improved the passenger safety cell but this has come at the cost of sacrificing all round vision with wide A, B, and C pillars - that form the window frames, the ADAC testers said.

Washington  - Detroit's annual auto show is usually a glitzy affair and time of celebration for the US car industry, but not after a year that saw car sales plummet to their lowest level in decades.

The North American International Auto Show, which opens for a three-day media preview on Sunday, will see domestic and foreign automakers unveil their latest US models amid an uncertain future for the world's most lucrative car market.

Ingolstadt, Germany  - Audi's latest attempt at a city car, the three-door, four-seater A1 is set to spawn a whole range of premium compact models, the company has hinted.

"I think we could come up with a whole family of A1 models. We have plenty of ideas," Audi head Rupert Stadler told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. "We've also got a few things in the pipeline from 2010 and a model or two in the compact car sector are certainly on the cards."

Rovaniemi, Finland - German carmaker BMW plans to introduce a four-wheel drive version of its flagship 7 series limousine, the company revealed during winter testing in Finland.

The rugged variant of the 7 series will use BMW's Xdrive four-wheel drive system which features in the X3, X5 offroaders and in the xi 3 Series and 5 Series saloons. The new 7 will ride higher than the standard car and be fitted with underbody protection in the form of sump and transmission guards. The new car is likely to be unveiled in late 2009.

Stuttgart - Japanese carmaker Mazda is planning to use a hydrogen-powered version of its Wankel engine for its new RX-9 sportster.

According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine, the radically-styled, RX-9 coupe will make its debut in dual-mode form, with an engine which can burn both petrol and hydrogen. The car will go on sale in 2012, said the report, which quoted sources close to the company.