FACTBOX: What rival bidders plan for Opel

(Reuters) - Belgian-listed financial investor RHJ has sweetened its offer for a majority stake in carmaker Opel, for which General Motors still needs to pick a preferred buyer.

Canadian auto parts maker Magna, favored by the German government, had in July increased the amount of upfront capital it would inject into Opel.

Following are details on Magna's and rival RHJ's plans for Opel:

MAGNA

- Strategy

Wants to use spare plant capacity at Opel by tapping into its expertise in contract manufacturing and building rival models for outside carmakers at Opel factories. It forecasts high growth rates, particularly in Russia, home of its consortium partners Sberbank and GAZ.

- Shareholding

Magna and Sberbank would each hold 27.5 percent. Around 10 percent would be taken up by Opel workers and 35 percent will remain with GM.

- State guarantees

The group needs 4.5 billion euros of guarantees from the German government.

- Equity investment

Would invest 500 million euros in Opel. Of this, 350 million would be an immediate equity injection under the improved offer. The rest would be debt that can be later converted into equity.

- Jobs

Around 10,000 of the total 50,000 jobs across Europe would be cut, with 25 percent of the job losses in Germany.

- Plants

Could close Belgium's Antwerp and Britain's Luton plants if it has no luck in luring new contracts to make use of the factory capacities.

RHJ

- Strategy

Shrink Opel production to return the company to profit. It is expected to sell its holding in the company in the future, possibly even back to GM.

- Shareholding

RHJ to hold 50.1 percent stake, while GM retains 39.9 percent. The remaining 10 percent would be held by workers.

- State guarantees

Needs German state guarantees totaling 3.2 billion euros, down from an original request for 3.8 billion. These would be paid back by 2013, a year earlier than first envisaged.

- Equity investment

To pay 300 million euros, up from the original plan of paying 175 million at the closing of the deal plus 100 million euros on December 31, 2012

- Jobs

To cut about 10,000 jobs throughout Europe, of which 8,100 are in manufacturing

- Plants

To close Antwerp by March 2010 and mothball Germany's Eisenach for next two years

(Compiled by Angelika Gruber, Christiaan Hetzner and Michael Shields)