Vehicle Spec
Car Spec Check
Enter a UK registration and get the car's recorded details, full specs, dimensions, and engine power in bhp, PS and kW. Continue into the full history report on the same plate.
Car Spec Check: Quick Answer
- Details, dimensions and horsepower come back from one registration lookup.
- Width across the mirrors and height are the dimensions that decide parking and car park access.
- Power is shown in bhp, PS and kW because manufacturers, insurers and adverts each use a different unit.
- Specification sets your insurance group, tax band and clean air zone status.
- A spec that does not match the advert means a careless seller, a modification, an import or a clone.
Full car details by registration number
Enter a UK plate and the specification comes back against that exact vehicle, not the model name. A model name covers a range. A registration covers one car, with one engine and one set of figures.
Three things come back together: the car's details, its specs and dimensions, and its engine output. A number plate check returns the same from a plate you have only seen on the road.
Car details recorded against the registration
- Make, model, body type and trim where recorded
- Colour, and any previous colour recorded
- Year of manufacture and date of first registration
- V5C issue date and vehicle identification number
- Number of previous keepers
- Engine capacity in cc, fuel type, transmission and gears
- Cylinders and engine code where recorded
- CO2 emissions and Euro standard
- Current tax status, band and annual rate
- Current MOT status and expiry
- Export, import and scrapped markers
Car specs and dimensions
- Overall length
- Width, body only
- Width including door mirrors
- Height
- Wheelbase and turning circle where recorded
- Boot capacity in litres, seats up and folded
- Doors, seats and fuel tank capacity
Width across the mirrors is the number to use, not body width. A typical UK parking bay is around 2.4m wide and many family cars sit close to 2.1m across the mirrors.
Height is the other one to check. Multi-storey and underground car parks commonly post a limit between 1.9m and 2.1m, and roof bars or a roof box push a car over it.
Kerb weight, gross weight and towing
Kerb weight is the vehicle ready to drive with no load. Gross vehicle weight, or maximum authorised mass, is the most it can legally weigh loaded. The gap between them is your payload.
Those two figures are also what towing limits are built from, and engine size is a poor guide to towing capacity.
Drivers who passed their car test on or after 1 January 1997 hold category BE and can tow a trailer up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass. The current rules are published by GOV.UK.
Horsepower, bhp and torque
Engine capacity is on the V5C. Power is not, which is why a registration lookup is the practical way to confirm it.
- Maximum power in bhp, PS and kW
- Maximum torque in Nm and lb-ft
- Engine capacity and cylinders
- Top speed and acceleration where published
Power is what the engine does at the top of the rev range. Torque is how it feels in normal driving, which is why a diesel with modest bhp can feel stronger than a petrol with more.
Converting the units
- 1 bhp = 0.7457 kW. kW to bhp, multiply by 1.341.
- 1 PS = 0.9863 bhp. PS always reads slightly higher than bhp for the same engine.
- 1 lb-ft = 1.3558 Nm.
Why the same engine shows different horsepower
- State of tune. The same block is sold in several outputs, separated by software and sometimes a different turbo.
- Model year changes. Outputs get revised mid-life, often for emissions, so figures differ either side of a facelift.
- Remapping. An aftermarket remap changes real output without changing the record, and must be declared to an insurer.
- Import. Vehicles built for other markets often carry different figures.
What the specification decides
- Insurance. Every car sits in one of fifty groups, set by engine size, power, repair cost and security. Two cars with the same badge can sit several groups apart, so quote on the registration.
- Vehicle tax. CO2 sets the first year rate and the original list price decides whether the expensive car supplement applies. It follows the car, not the price you paid. Confirm it with a road tax check.
- Clean air zones. Compliance depends on Euro standard, not age, which is why a ten year old petrol is often compliant and a seven year old diesel is not. Check with a ULEZ check or a car emissions check.
- Fuel. Take the combined figure, adjust down for real world use, multiply by your actual annual mileage.
When the spec does not match the advert
- A careless advert. Wrong trim name, copied listing. Verify the rest and move on.
- An undeclared modification. Different output, fuel type or body type. Must be declared to an insurer and it affects value.
- An import. Legitimate, but needs different checks and carries a resale penalty.
- A clone. If the recorded make, model, colour or engine does not match the car in front of you, the plate may belong to another vehicle. Check the VIN, then run a stolen car check.
A recorded colour change is either a personal choice, a repair or a disguise. Cross-reference it against a write-off check.
What the free result includes
- Make, model, body type and colour
- Year and date of first registration
- Engine capacity, fuel type and transmission
- CO2 emissions and Euro standard
- Current tax and MOT status
- Core dimensions and weights where recorded
What the full report adds
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off category and salvage records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history and clocking indicators
- Previous keepers and change dates
- Outstanding safety recalls
- Current valuation
- Full MOT history with advisories and failures
- Downloadable PDF
Where the data comes from and where it ends
Identity, engine capacity, fuel type, CO2, Euro standard, tax and MOT come from DVLA and DVSA and exist for effectively every UK vehicle.
Performance, dimensions and weights come from manufacturer data matched to the vehicle. Reliable on mainstream models, partial on imports and low volume cars.
Trim and factory options are the thinnest layer and are recorded inconsistently. Where the data does not exist, we say so.
Check the spec against the advert before you travel
Adverts are written to attract enquiries. The record is written by DVLA and DVSA. Where they disagree, work from the record.
A spec check is not a mechanical inspection. Pair it with a viewing and a test drive, and see our used car buying guide for the full order, or run every record check at once with a pre-purchase used car check.
Vehicle Spec FAQs
What does a car spec check include?
Three things: the car's recorded details, its specification including dimensions, boot capacity and weights, and its engine output in bhp, PS and kW with torque.
Can I check car specs by registration?
Yes. Enter the UK registration number and REGUP will prepare the vehicle specification check flow.
Why check vehicle specification?
It helps compare the seller advert with recorded vehicle details and can highlight description mistakes before you buy.
Is trim level always available?
Trim and optional equipment depth can vary. REGUP shows the available specification data in the report.
How do I check car details by registration number?
Enter the UK registration in the check above. You get make, model, body type, colour, year, engine capacity, fuel type, transmission, CO2, Euro standard, and current tax and MOT status. The details layer is free.
How do I check my car's dimensions by registration?
Run the spec check and the dimensions come back with the specification: length, width with and without mirrors, height, wheelbase, boot capacity and kerb weight. Use the mirrors figure for parking and the height for car park barriers.
How much horsepower does my car have?
Enter the registration and the check returns maximum power in bhp, PS and kW with torque in Nm and lb-ft. Power is not printed on the V5C, which only shows engine capacity, so a registration lookup is the practical way to confirm it.
What is the difference between bhp, PS and kW?
Three units for the same measurement. 1 bhp is 0.7457 kW and 1 PS is 0.9863 bhp. PS always reads slightly higher than bhp, which is why one car can be advertised at 150PS and 148bhp with neither figure being wrong.
Why does my car show different horsepower to the same model elsewhere?
The same engine is sold in several states of tune, outputs get revised mid-life for emissions, aftermarket remaps change real output without changing the record, and imports often carry different figures.
Can I check car specs by registration for free?
Yes. Details, engine, emissions and current tax and MOT status are free. The paid report adds finance, write-off, stolen, mileage, keeper and valuation data.
Does the spec check show trim level and optional extras?
It shows what has been recorded, but trim is the least complete layer of vehicle data and factory options are often not held centrally. Where the data does not exist, we say so rather than substituting a model average.
Can a spec check tell me what my car can tow?
It gives you kerb weight and maximum authorised mass, which towing limits are built from. Drivers who passed their car test on or after 1 January 1997 hold category BE and can tow a trailer up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass.
Does a spec check replace a full vehicle history check?
No. It describes what the vehicle is, not what has happened to it. Finance, theft markers, write-off categories and mileage discrepancies sit in licensed data, and any spec check can be continued into the full report on the same registration.
Ready to run car spec check?
Enter the registration above and continue with the existing REGUP report flow.