Traditional auto shows may be past their prime, but a few remain relevant in 2026. The Paris Motor Show is one of the oldest in the industry, having held its first edition in 1898. The BMW Group is among the first car manufacturers to confirm its participation in the 91st edition, which will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition center.
The 2026 Paris Motor Show will take place from October 12th to 18th and will bring together BMW, MINI and motorcycles. Rolls-Royce doesn’t normally host car shows, so it’s no surprise that the brand is skipping the event. In the future, BMW ALPINA will also have to be considered separately, as it is now an independent brand within the BMW Group.
BMW is not yet saying which models will be the focus in the City of Light. However, with so many new products on the horizon, it’s possible to make an educated guess. The new i3 (NA0) launches this year and will launch before the next-generation 3 Series (G50).
At the larger end of the sedan spectrum, the 7 Series (G70) is getting a facelift this year. We may also see the return of the ALPINA B7 in 2026. If that happens, it will return under a different name and with a separate chassis code. The G72 is expected to feature inline-six and V8 engines, as well as an ALPINA-first electric vehicle.
On the SUV side, BMW is putting the finishing touches to the fifth generation of the X5 (G65). It too will officially launch later this year, alongside an all-electric iX5.
BMW M will introduce a Track package for the M2 and may even introduce the long-rumored xDrive variant.
With so many models coming to market this year, it stands to reason that at least some of them will be delivered to the Paris Motor Show in October. The event alternates annually with the IAA Mobility Show, where the new iX3 was presented last September. A year earlier, the Vision Neue Klasse and Vision Neue Klasse X concepts were shown together for the first time in Paris. The latter has since evolved into the production-ready iX3, and we’re just a few months away from seeing the former take shape as the i3 sedan.
There are exciting times ahead of us.
