UK vehicle statistics / BMW

How many BMW M6 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 1,083 licensed and 624 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW M6 generic-model group.

Is the M6 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,564 in 2018 Q2 and stand at 1,083 in 2026 Q1, down 31%. That is down 20% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 624 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 1,707 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.

M6 MOT pass rate

In 2024, 87.3% of 1,167 BMW M6 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 87.9% of cars aged 6–9 years passed first time, against 84.9% aged 15–30 years.

• Condition — 4.2% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
• Exhaust Emissions — 2.2% 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 — 1.3% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
• Washers — 1.1% of tests. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW M6 MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

• Condition — 4.2% 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 — 2.2% 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 — 1.3% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
• Washers — 1.1% of tests in 2024. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.
• Ask why it was off the road — Of the 1,707 M6 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (624 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
• Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 31% from the 2018 Q2 peak of 1,564. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
• Check the actual M6 — 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.

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 M6 cars are left in the UK?

1,083 were licensed and 624 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many BMW M6 cars are SORN?

624 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 1,707 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the M6 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,564 in 2018 Q2 and stand at 1,083 in 2026 Q1, down 31%. That is down 20% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 624 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 1,707 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the BMW M6 MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 87.3% of 1,167 BMW M6 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the M6 fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (4.2% of tests), exhaust emissions (2.2% of tests), headlamp aim (1.3% of tests).

Does this say whether one M6 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.