UK vehicle statistics / BMW

How many BMW M3 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 28,712 licensed and 10,354 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW M3 generic-model group.

Looking at a M3?

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 M3 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the M3 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 29,166 in 2025 Q3 and stand at 28,712 in 2026 Q1, down 2%. That is up 57% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 10,354 are declared SORN — 1 in 4 of the 39,066 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.

M3 MOT pass rate

In 2024, 85.7% of 13,223 BMW M3 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 89.5% of cars aged 6–9 years passed first time, against 84% aged 15–30 years.

  • Condition — 2.9% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 2.1% 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.
  • Headlamp Aim — 1.8% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Brake Performance — 1.7% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW M3 MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 2.9% 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 — 2.1% 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.
  • Headlamp Aim — 1.8% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Brake Performance — 1.7% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 39,066 M3 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 4 is SORN (10,354 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual M3 — 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.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q128,71210,354
2025 Q427,88310,503
2025 Q329,1668,889
2025 Q229,1228,554
2025 Q127,4439,862
2024 Q426,59410,078
2024 Q327,7438,679
2024 Q227,2198,247
2024 Q125,0278,886
2023 Q424,0449,648
2023 Q325,0438,023
2023 Q225,0077,650
2023 Q123,0688,150
2022 Q422,2668,922
2022 Q322,9777,489
2022 Q222,2397,051
2022 Q121,1157,669
2021 Q420,2198,281
2021 Q321,2926,842
2021 Q220,2476,627
2021 Q118,2787,258
2020 Q417,2127,922
2020 Q318,1306,743
2020 Q217,4446,606
2020 Q116,5347,476
2019 Q416,7177,124
2019 Q317,9505,816
2019 Q218,0975,401
2019 Q117,2995,795
2018 Q417,2646,415
2018 Q318,7265,078
2018 Q218,9114,683
2018 Q117,7115,102
2017 Q417,6895,501
2017 Q318,6264,416
2017 Q218,8624,039
2017 Q118,2474,069
2016 Q418,2424,410
2016 Q319,1253,377
2016 Q219,2643,146
2016 Q118,5093,544
2015 Q418,3033,754
2015 Q319,0532,930
2015 Q219,2312,706
2015 Q118,5752,887
2014 Q418,5803,270
2014 Q319,8742,460

Other BMW models

See how many of every BMW model are left

Common questions

How many BMW M3 cars are left in the UK?

28,712 were licensed and 10,354 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many BMW M3 cars are SORN?

10,354 are declared SORN — 1 in 4 of the 39,066 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the M3 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 29,166 in 2025 Q3 and stand at 28,712 in 2026 Q1, down 2%. That is up 57% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 10,354 are declared SORN — 1 in 4 of the 39,066 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the BMW M3 MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 85.7% of 13,223 BMW M3 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the M3 fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (2.9% of tests), exhaust emissions (2.1% of tests), headlamp aim (1.8% of tests).

Does this say whether one M3 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.