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This is the final BMW M3 Coupe

Pour some out for the BMW M3 Coupe, folks. Production of the two-door, fixed-roof M3 has officially ended, and the orange car you see here is the very last one.
But we don't just meant the last M3 Coupe of this generation - this is the last M3 Coupe ever, since the next-gen car will launch under the name M4, staying true to BMW's revised nomenclature where coupes and convertibles will use even numbers. (Don't forget, the new 3 Series coupe becomes the 4 Series for the 2014 model year.) There will, of course, be a new M3, but that badge will only be found on the four-door version.
BMW first launched the M3 Coupe in 1986, and since then, more than 40,000 examples have been built. Sedan and convertible versions were added later in the car's life, and BMW says that the current 2013 model year convertible will remain in production until September of this year.

BMW planning smaller Z2 roadster

It's been a few years since we heard about the BMW Z2, a compact, two-seat convertible that would slot in below the aging Z4 (shown above). Now, though, the crew at Car and Driver are back with details on the oft-rumored roadster.
The big shock for enthusiasts on this one is C/D's report that the Z2 will spin its front wheels, rather than its rears. A front-drive roadster is strange enough, but a front-drive BMW roadster? It's apparently true, though, as the new model would share its platform with the front-drive Mini and 2 Series Active Tourer rather than with the racier 228i or M235i coupes.
According to C/D, the rumored Z2 could be powered by a range of three- and four-cylinder, turbocharged engines, although it's more likely to be a four-only affair. Power should range from 160 to 230 ponies, while an M variant could arrive with 300 horsepower (that's a whole lot of power for front-wheel drive...).

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW's electric truck, London's electric double-decker bus

BMW and transport and logistics company Scherm Group have put an electric transport truck into service in Munich, Germany. The 40-ton truck, made by Dutch manufacturer Terberg, will be used to move vehicle components between BMW's Munich plant and Scherm's logistics center cleanly and quietly on public roads. Using the electric vehicle saves 11.8 tons of CO2 per year. It charges in about four hours, and has a range of about 62 miles — enough to make the trip between the two facilities eight times a day. The truck will be powered completely by electricity from renewable sources. With this project, BMW "is showing that you can succeed on the global market with sustainable products made by innovative companies," says Bavaria's Minister for Economic Affairs, Ilse Aigner. Read more in the press release below. Discount supermarket chain Aldi is offering free charging in Germany. The company has installed fast-charging stations at 50 locations for customers to use while they shop. IKEA also has plans to install free charging at its stores in Germany, and other retailers will likely do the same. While offering free e-juice helps businesses garner the attention of its EV-driving customers, it could also help encourage people to buy electric vehicles. Many are disappointed by Germany's lack of EV incentives, despite the country's goal of having 1 million EVs in operation by 2020. Read more at Automotive News Europe. London will put an all-electric double-decker bus into service this year. London Mayor Boris Johnson announced the electric bus trial at the first ever Clean Bus Summit. The bus, made by BYD, will begin service in October. London has already deployed over 1,300 hybrid buses and retrofitted over 1,400 buses to reduce emissions since 2008. Mayor Johnson's goal is to cut buses' NOx emissions in half by the end of his term in 2016 compared to 2008 levels. Also at the Clean Bus Summit, a number of bus makers and banks committed to helping cities roll out fleets of ultra-low emission buses. Read more in the press release from London, and from BYD. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is funding biofuel projects to the tune of $18 million. The DOE will award the funds to six projects in an effort to reduce the price of algae-based biofuels to less than $5 per gasoline gallon equivalent (gge). The DOE has a goal to get the price of algal biofuels to less than $3 per gge by 2030.