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2014 BMW 328d rated at 32/45 mpg

BMW still hasn't released official fuel economy numbers for its diesel-powered 2014 328d, but now, those mileage ratings have been posted on the EPA's FuelEconomy.gov website. As expected, the 328d is quite an efficient little machine, with the rear-wheel-drive sedan good for 32 miles per gallon in the city and 45 mpg highway. That even bests the 30/42 mpg of the smaller Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
The last time BMW offered a diesel 3 Series in our market, it was the six-cylinder 335d, which - while mighty quick and excellent to drive - was only offered as a rear-wheel-drive sedan and was rated at 23 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. For 2014, BMW will offer the 328d with optional xDrive all-wheel drive, though that reduces the fuel economy numbers to 31/43 mpg. Beyond that, the BMW will even sell you a 328d xDrive wagon, which nets the same 31/43 mpg rating, according to FuelEconomy.gov.
Look for the 2014 BMW 328d to hit dealerships this fall, and when it launches, it will be the only diesel offering in its class (until the next Mercedes-Benz C-Class arrives, anyway). Lexus and Infiniti will offer hybrid versions of the IS and Q50, respectively, but we've always had a taste for torque, and the 328d's 2.0-liter engine with 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of twist shouldn't disappoint.

BMW slapped with discrimination suit by EEOC

According to a report from CNNMoney, BMW has been hit with a lawsuit from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after revised criminal background check policies resulted in the dismissal of 88 contractors, 70 of whom (that's about 80 percent) were black. A total of 645 contractors were required to submit to background checks at BMW's facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina after BMW switched contract companies at its plant.
Though the 88 persons who were not rehired by the new contractor all had criminal records, that may not necessarily be a legal way to screen applicants, as the EEOC counters: "BMW's policy has no time limit with regard to convictions. The policy is a blanket exclusion without any individualized assessment of the nature and gravity of the crimes, the ages of the convictions, or the nature of the claimants' respective positions."
BMW's actions were in violation of the Civic Rights Act of 1964, according to the EEOC, because they utilized "a criminal conviction policy that disproportionately screened out African-Americans." A recent bulletin offering guidance from the EEOC on the Civil Rights Act can be found here, but the EEOC's stance on the issue has been the same for years: "Since issuing its first written policy guidance in the 1980s regarding the use of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions, the EEOC has advised employers that under certain circumstances, their use of that information to deny employment opportunities could be at odds with Title VII."

BMW M3 gets the video retrospective treatment

With BMW on the cusp of pulling back the sheets on its next-generation M3 (or should we say, M4?), the crew from Electric Federal has taken it upon themselves to give us a generation-by-generation look at the evolution of the most renowned of BMW's sports coupes. The video below features plenty of beautiful shots of each generation of M3, starting with the ever lust-worthy E30 before finishing up with the current iteration. BWS Motorsport's Mark Norris provides the narration, complete with a brief synopsis of what makes each generation so special.
As usual, the clip is fit for big-screen viewing. You can watch the action below for yourself. Meanwhile, we'll be busy figuring out which vital organs we can sell to get our hands on our own E30 M3.