Featuring an 8,000-rpm redline, a perfectly balanced chassis, and a distinctive exhaust roar, the E46 M3 is often considered the ultimate M3.

From boxer twins and inline sixes to sonorous V12s and even diesels, BMW has built numerous iconic engines throughout its ...

Yet even in the company of the E46 M3 CSL and the much-lauded M2 CS ... apron is a simple but effective identifier, like the bonnet ‘nostril’ of the Toyota Celica GT-Four.

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Unsurprisingly, Alfa’s legendary ‘Busso’ V6 creeps onto our list. With around 250bhp to carry the boxy but handsome 156 GTA ‘Q2’ to a top speed of 155mph, here’s a manual example finished in Grigio ...