But its position as the annual must-see event for motor sport fans has been challenged by this weekend's Bathurst 12-Hour, a race that puts a new flavour on the circuit's signature dish.

Home to faster cars, a fuller grid, international superstars and a growing supporter base at home and abroad, the 12-Hour has grown from strength to strength in the past five years.

Originally held as a production car battle for brands such as BMW, Mazda and Mitsubishi, the 12-Hour took on a new lease of life in 2011 when event organisers opened the race to GT3-specification supercars from the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini.

The race has shifted from a niche online stream to a dozen hours of live television on the Seven network, while British-based sportscar specialists Radio Le Mans have taken live commentary of the event to dozens of countries and helped attract champion teams from around the globe.

This year's race will be fought out by more than 50 machines, including 29 cars in the top class, with 2014 winners Maranello Motorsport saddling up one of seven Ferraris that will take to the track on Sunday.

The prancing horse will be pursued by a flock of exotic machines capable of shattering the Bathurst lap record, including seven V10-powered Audi R8s, three muscular Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin coupes, two Lamborghinis, a pair of Porsches and solitary McLaren and Nissan entries.

Manufacturers such as Bentley have brought factory-backed cars and drivers out from Europe, hoping to prove their potential on one of the world's most challenging tracks.

Now in its fifth year as an event for GT sports cars, the race has attracted 169 drivers from 15 countries. Many of world's best GT racers will take to the grid with several ex-Formula One pilots such as defending race winner Mika Salo and Bathurst 1000 champions including John Bowe and Steven Richards.

A decision by V8 Supercars management to ban its drivers from taking part in the race due to a date clash with its test day may have harmed the event's local appeal, but the conflict drew plenty of international attention to a race that is fast becoming an important contest.

Romolo Liebchen, Audi's head of customer racing, rates it among the top five sportscar races in the world, along with the Daytona, Spa, and Nurburgring 24-Hour races.

The spectacle of exotic pin-up poster cars going flat out around the most iconic circuit in the country is special, particularly in the early hours of the race.

Starting at 5.50am, drivers begin their day in the dark, race through dawn and claim the chequered flag at sunset.

Nissan racer Wolfgang Reip said the run to the flag between Mercedes' Maxi Buhk and Ferrari's Craig Lowndes last year "has become famous in Europe", and that the race has become a must-do for professional racers.

"It's not just that their teams are here," he said. "They want to be here."

with Stephen Ottley