The new wave of BMW

BMW X3

The third generation of the popular compact SUV is redesigned for 2018 to look a little sharper, with new lights on the front and back and new features inside. Overall dimensions are similar to the current model, but there's now slightly more space in the rear seats and slightly less cargo space behind. It uses more aluminum in the engine and suspension, so the overall vehicle will be up to 55 kg lighter than before when it comes to Canada late this year.

It will be available with the newest safety and convenience features, of course. The gesture control that was first seen just a couple of years ago on the new 7 Series is already filtering down to BMW's other models, though it's still a bit of a gimmick. The X3 also gets the M Performance treatment for the first time: The X3 M40i will create 360 hp and will offer M Sport suspension, brakes and variable-sport steering.

BMW M5

We've known about the new M5 for a while, and we even drove a near-production version of BMW's performance flagship earlier this year, but it's taken until now to confirm the numbers that matter: The M5 will create 600 hp and a massive 553 lbs.-ft. of torque from its 4.4L V8 bi-turbo engine. Zero-to-100 km/h slams up in 3.4 seconds, while zero-to-200 km/h comes in at 11.1 seconds.

The roof is made of carbon fibre – previously an option but now standard – while the front-end contours are a little beefier to allow for more airflow to the engine and brakes. The really clever technology is found in the various xDrive modes, which can let the M5 drive in different levels of four-wheel drive, all the way to pure rear-wheel drive if you want to drift around your local track.

BMW X7 Performance Concept

The X7 is just huge, and is easily BMW's largest SUV to date. The vehicle at the show is fitted with six captain's chairs and is officially still a concept, but the production-ready X7 will be revealed early next year and will almost certainly be a full seven-seater.

We don't know what engines will be available when it's finally released, but the show SUV is a plug-in hybrid and it's reasonable to assume that will be at least an option, given BMW's commitment to electrifying its entire fleet.

BMW Concept 8 Series

The Concept 8 Series was first shown back in May at the Villa d'Este concours in Italy, and it was welcomed there as a sleek and curvy coupe alternative to the 7 Series. It's still a concept, but a production model is expected next year. It will be expensive. Very expensive.

BMW Z4 Concept

Also sleek and curvy is the beautiful Z4 concept, with a shorter wheelbase and hood and vertically stacked headlights. We saw it this summer at the Pebble Beach Concours, where it was universally praised for its elegant looks. It's a rear-wheel-drive roadster that's been developed jointly with Toyota, which will offer its own coupe version as a successor to the Supra. We don't yet know what's under the hood, but the production car will be revealed next year.

BMW i Vision Dynamics

There are big claims for the all-electric i Vision Dynamics: a battery range of 600 kilometres, acceleration from zero-to-100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of more than 200 km/h. We don't know much more, though. BMW promises the "four-door gran coupe" will go into production and suggests a date of 2021. At the rate it's now developing electric vehicles, this does not sound unlikely.

MiniE concept

It's been a long time coming for the all-electric MiniE, but the concept at the show here is just about there: The production car will be available in 2019, 60 years after the introduction of the first Mini. There are no claims yet for its range or performance.

BMW i3 and i3s

The sub-compact i3 has always been a swift electric car. The latest edition now accelerates from zero-to-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds, and the i3s is a sportier version that knocks almost half a second off that time. Its official range is up to 280 kilometres, compared to the 290 km of the regular i3, and it includes a sports suspension that lowers the car 10 mm and widens its track by 40 mm.

In addition, an all-electric scooter that's designed as small and convenient urban transportation, the Concept Link is fully connected and digitalized, so it engages with the rider through both the helmet and a heads-up display on the small windshield. It's smart enough to know the best route to the next place on the rider's calendar, and even what music to play to match the rider's mood.

Wacky futuristic technology? Don't laugh – the future will be here sooner than you think.

The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.