Usando:
$(MAKE) --version
funciona aqui. Minha saída é:
make --version
GNU Make 3.82
Built for i686-pc-linux-gnu
Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.