The concept of vehicle registration in Britain is substituted by the notion of the road tax. Same thing, different name, really, except that the proof of you having paid the tax – known as the Tax Disc – has to be prominently displayed on your windshield (while the proof of inspection does not).
The real difference is in cost. I don’t recall paying more than $80 a year for registration of my FX35 in New Jersey (which was the most expensive to register of all the cars that I used to own). Here, I just paid £205 for the privilege to drive my X3 for another year. Ouch!