Germany - Workers at a General Motors (GM) plant in Germany which is at risk of closure were shaken Wednesday by an announcement from the US company that it plans to slash 26,000 jobs outside the United States.

"We heard about it on the radio during the night shift," said one worker at the plant gate as he was heading home. The plant, in the industrial city of Bochum, is a branch factory of Ruesselsheim-based Opel, the GM Europe brand.

Beijing - A Chinese automaker denied holding talks over buying General Motors' Hummer-brand sports utility vehicle unit, a spokesmen for the firm said on Wednesday.

"We don't have the desire (to buy Hummer) and we haven't had any contact with GM," the Sichuan Auto Industry Group spokesman said.

Bloomberg News on Tuesday quoted unidentified sources as saying Sichuan Auto, one of China's smaller auto makers, could pay up to 500 million dollars for Hummer.

To attract more Indians, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is all set to roll out a diesel variant of its premium compact car, the i-20, by the end of the existing year (2009).

The second largest car maker, which has already launched i-20 diesel variant in the European market, is now looking at launching the car in the Indian market.

Stuttgart  - The world is a dangerous place and to minimise the risk for politicians and captains of industry, Mercedes-Benz is offering an armour-plated version of the sleek new E-Class saloon.

Outwardly identical to the standard model, the beefed-up, E-Guard limousine features metal plates and aramide plastics in the bodywork which is tough enough to withstand the blast of a hand grenade.

The protective package includes thick, polycarbonate windows which can block shots from a 0.44 Magnum hand gun along with air suspension to cope with the added weight. An intercom system enables passengers to contact the outside world in case of attack.

Stuttgart  - Rust has been the curse of car owners for decades and until protection from it was improved in recent years, many an owner could only despair at vehicles which literally crumbled away beneath them.

Anti-corrosion treatment has vastly improved, but according to Germany's car testing experts, modern vehicles are prone to rust too, as not every manufacturer takes the problem seriously enough.

Compared to between 10 and 20 years ago, the overall number of cars showing serious rust problems has declined considerably, said Hermann Schenk from the GTÜ technical examination organization based in Stuttgart.

Modena, Italy  - Italian sports car maker Maserati has expanded its range with an upgraded version of the Quattroporte and has hinted at a new drop head model for the autumn.

The four-door limousine is already no slouch and thanks to an extra 10 brake horsepower from its 4.7-litre engine, the makers in Modena promise enhanced performance.

Revised software for the six-speed automatic gearbox enables the V8 unit to rev happily above 6,000 rpm, freeing up more power for acceleration and top speed.