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General Motors says Magna's Opel bid has obstacles, RHJ's is easier to accept

General Motors Co. says a bid for Opel from Magna International faces hurdles while a rival offer from Belgian investor RHJ International would be easier to accept. Writing on GM Europe's Web site, John Smith, GM's chief negotiator for the Opel sale, says Magna's bid "contained elements around intellectual property and our Russian operations that simply could not be implemented." He adds: "GM has partners in other parts of the world who have joint ownership of these assets ...

Toyota studying larger Prius people-hauler

Toyota's Prius family could continue to grow, literally, as the automaker studies an additional version of the popular hybrid that carries three rows of seats. The three-row Prius would not be the same vehicle as the Prius Alpha sold in Japan, which basically crams a third row of seats into the cargo area of the five-seat Prius V to be sold in the United States starting this fall. To the contrary, this potential Prius would be large enough to hold seven people as well as their stuff, said Bob Carter, Toyota Division general manager.

BMW designer Schaffer to lead U.S. studio

Laurenz Schaffer, an 11-year veteran of BMW AG's design staff, will take charge of the automaker's studio in California on Dec. 1. He will replace Verena Kloos, 48, as president of DesignworksUSA.