How many BMW 8 Series cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 6,640 licensed and 1,267 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW 8 Series generic-model group.
Looking at a 8 Series?
Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.
Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Wondering whether one particular 8 Series is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the 8 Series disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 6,738 in 2025 Q3 and stand at 6,640 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 75% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,267 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 7,907 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.
8 Series MOT pass rate
In 2024, 86.1% of 1,466 BMW 8 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 86.1% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 85.2% aged 6–9 years.
- Condition — 9.7% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Exhaust Emissions — 1.4% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
- Registration Plates — 1.1% of tests. A damaged, dirty or non-compliant number plate.
- Tread Depth — 0.7% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW 8 Series MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Condition — 9.7% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Exhaust Emissions — 1.4% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
- Registration Plates — 1.1% of tests in 2024. A damaged, dirty or non-compliant number plate.
- Tread Depth — 0.7% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
- Check the actual 8 Series — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Quarterly licensed and SORN counts
Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 6,640 | 1,267 |
| 2025 Q4 | 6,674 | 1,270 |
| 2025 Q3 | 6,738 | 1,182 |
| 2025 Q2 | 6,661 | 1,187 |
| 2025 Q1 | 6,522 | 1,245 |
| 2024 Q4 | 6,512 | 1,229 |
| 2024 Q3 | 6,561 | 1,160 |
| 2024 Q2 | 6,534 | 1,161 |
| 2024 Q1 | 6,430 | 1,178 |
| 2023 Q4 | 6,316 | 1,203 |
| 2023 Q3 | 6,289 | 1,104 |
| 2023 Q2 | 6,176 | 1,058 |
| 2023 Q1 | 5,997 | 1,079 |
| 2022 Q4 | 5,672 | 1,117 |
| 2022 Q3 | 5,460 | 1,025 |
| 2022 Q2 | 5,242 | 1,002 |
| 2022 Q1 | 5,025 | 1,033 |
| 2021 Q4 | 4,770 | 1,040 |
| 2021 Q3 | 4,724 | 950 |
| 2021 Q2 | 4,451 | 958 |
| 2021 Q1 | 3,801 | 1,011 |
| 2020 Q4 | 3,376 | 1,026 |
| 2020 Q3 | 3,111 | 979 |
| 2020 Q2 | 2,490 | 970 |
| 2020 Q1 | 2,211 | 975 |
| 2019 Q4 | 1,680 | 959 |
| 2019 Q3 | 1,415 | 929 |
| 2019 Q2 | 1,280 | 836 |
| 2019 Q1 | 1,050 | 825 |
| 2018 Q4 | 940 | 853 |
| 2018 Q3 | 793 | 779 |
| 2018 Q2 | 798 | 763 |
| 2018 Q1 | 745 | 787 |
| 2017 Q4 | 754 | 826 |
| 2017 Q3 | 800 | 771 |
| 2017 Q2 | 800 | 764 |
| 2017 Q1 | 777 | 760 |
| 2016 Q4 | 792 | 775 |
| 2016 Q3 | 859 | 686 |
| 2016 Q2 | 881 | 668 |
| 2016 Q1 | 824 | 723 |
| 2015 Q4 | 858 | 711 |
| 2015 Q3 | 924 | 627 |
| 2015 Q2 | 937 | 615 |
| 2015 Q1 | 893 | 647 |
| 2014 Q4 | 919 | 650 |
| 2014 Q3 | 1,007 | 578 |
Other BMW models
- 3 Series — 465,380 licensed. MOT pass rate
- 1 Series — 400,915 licensed. MOT pass rate
- 5 Series — 196,710 licensed. MOT pass rate
- 2 Series — 146,547 licensed. MOT pass rate
- X1 — 132,654 licensed. MOT pass rate
- X3 — 124,814 licensed. MOT pass rate
See how many of every BMW model are left
Common questions
How many BMW 8 Series cars are left in the UK?
6,640 were licensed and 1,267 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
How many BMW 8 Series cars are SORN?
1,267 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 7,907 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.
Is the 8 Series disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 6,738 in 2025 Q3 and stand at 6,640 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 75% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,267 are declared SORN — 1 in 6 of the 7,907 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What is the BMW 8 Series MOT pass rate?
In 2024, 86.1% of 1,466 BMW 8 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.
What does the 8 Series fail its MOT on?
The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (9.7% of tests), exhaust emissions (1.4% of tests), registration plates (1.1% of tests).
Does this say whether one 8 Series is a good buy?
No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.
Source and limitations
Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.
Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.