Set to make its debut this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the BMW M2 is going to be special. Not only that, it has the potential to become an instant classic and collectors' car. Why's that? Because the German automaker, according to reports from Motor Trend and Autocar, is in the midst of making some significant changes. First up, the future of its small cars will soon be decided; will they all switch to FWD platforms shared with Minis? Will the 3 and 4 Series become the smallest RWD sedan and coupe in the lineup?

"Modularity" is the key word here and BMW may just end up switching the next-gen 1 Series hatch and 2 Series coupe into FWD models. Second, the status of the manual gearbox has come up once again, this time specifically regarding M cars. BMW M boss Frank van Meel told Autocar that because of the great success of the dual-clutch and new automatic gearboxes, "From a technical standpoint, the future doesn't look bright for manual gearboxes. It's difficult to say we'll stick to the manual." For many, the new M2 (and its 2 Series and M235i counterparts) best embody the traditional and most pure Bimmer: small, compact, RWD, and with a manual option. That configuration's future is now in doubt. The BMW M2 could be the end of an era.