End of the line for BMW’s mighty M3 Coupe

Since its auspicious 1985 debut, the BMW M3 Coupe has earned a degree of reverence that few sporting cars can claim.

And now, after four endlessly lauded generations, this famous moniker is history. 

On 5 July, the final M3 Coupe, resplendent in fiery orange paint, rolled down the production line at BMW’s factory in Regensburg, Germany. But fret not, Bimmerphiles: a successor, dubbed M4 and based on BMW’srecently unveiled 4 Series, is set to arrive by the middle of 2014. It is certain to pick up where the overachieving E92 M3 Coupe left off. And in the meantime, the M3 Convertible carries on; production of the V8-powered droptop continues through September.