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General Motors made a net loss of $6 billion in the first quarter of 2009, raising further doubts about whether it can avoid bankruptcy.

The figures are based on a drop in revenues of 47 per cent compared with the same quarter of last year, with sales volumes down by 40 per cent. Last year in the same quarter GM made a loss of $3.3 billion.

Liquidity, which was identified internally at the end of last year as GM's biggest weakness, fell from $14.2 billion at the start of the quarter to $11.6 billion at the end of it.

Unlike 2008, GM cannot really point to any great movements in special items to account for its losses this quarter. Gains on debt held by both it and the GMAC financial services firm were more than offset by payments out for restructuring and a whopping $822 million charge from Saab's filing for reorganisation.

The figures are likely to be seen as a vindication of the White House's tough line on GM's restructuring. The group's first viability plan, sent in during February, was rejected at the end of the first quarter. Since then, GM has submitted a second, much tougher viability plan, and is awaiting a response from the US Treasury, the White House and the industry taskforce.

Before that decision, GM has started on a drastic cutback of its dealership network in North America.

Acknowledging that these results are likely to be seen as dire, president and CEO Fritz Henderson said: "Our first quarter results underscore the importance of executing GM's revised viability plan, which goes further and faster to lower our break-even point."

But the White House and the Treasury may take the view that the figures highlight just how far GM is from any break-even point at present, and may see the clean break of bankruptcy as a faster route to achieve that.