Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0
BMW
1,654 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where M8 Competition Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 18.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
96.2%
Pass-after-fix
0.5%
Fail
2.2%
Avg miles
25,798
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,654 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.8 points across the cohorts — newer M8 Competition Auto examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
95.2%
Fail
2.4%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
27,428 mi
Pass
98.0%
Fail
2.0%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
22,938 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,654 MOT tests, the M8 Competition Auto returns 96.2% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A non-conforming number plate and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 25,798, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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A tyre seriously damaged
14 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
12 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
10 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
10 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Windscreen or window excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view
8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
7 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Tyre obviously under inflated
2 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
Emission control equipment fitted by the manufacturer missing, obviously modified or obviously defective
2 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£135–£225
If every one of this M8 Competition Auto's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.8-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy BMW M8 Competition Auto makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
98.0%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 98.0% — a 2.8-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
95.2%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 95.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 98.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: does not conform to the specified requirements, has a cut in excess of the…, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 27,428 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (98.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (95.2% pass). That's a 2.8-point spread across 1,060 older tests and 594 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an M8 Competition Auto and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.