BMW M3 GT4

There's never been a more successful manufacturer at the Nurburgring 24-hr race than BMW - taking 114 class wins over the course of the event's 29-year history. And that run looks set to continue in 2009!

Homologated for the FIA GT4 class, as its name suggests, the stripped out and sharpened up M3 is being readied for its debut at the German endurance race at the end of May, where British driver Andy Priaulx will take the helm.

The high-revving 414bhp 4.0-litre V8 from the road car will remain untouched, but thanks to a sparce cabin, racing suspension and the use of lighter but stronger materials for many of the components, 380kg has been cut from the kerbweight so it should be nimbler in the corners and more potent in a straight line. But performance like this doesn't come cheap, expect to pay BMW £120,000 for the privilege of owning one.