Late last year it was revealed that BMW was developing a race-ready Z4 GT3 for customers who participate in motorsports. Now, official images and details of the track-spec Z4 have been released. The Z4-based coupe has always been a looker, and in GT3 guise it’s certainly striking.

Under the long bonnet BMW has jammed in the M3′s 4.0-litre V8 and with the Type-408 ECU engine management system and Power400 control unit, the high-revving V8 puts out a generous 480 horsepower with a six-speed sequential gearbox sending all the grunt to the rear wheels. ABS braking and central-locking wheels are standard kit, and for those who don’t want to break a sweat, air conditioning is optional.

BMW will be selling the Z4 GT3 from the second half of this year, with an estimated price of around 298,000 Euro ($589,000 NZ).