The Oletha from Smit Vehicle Engineering is a BMW carefully transformed to look like the Z8 Coupé that never existed. This very exclusive vehicle has a carbon body and a V8 of over 450 hp.
Smit Vehicle Engineering is a young American company specializing in the restoration and modification of BM. It was founded in 2019 in California by the Smit brothers, two engineers, one of whom worked for Singer in particular. To make himself known, Smit presents today a creation named Oletha, a coupe that suggests what a fixed-roof version of the Z8 roadster from the early 2000s would have looked like.
If the Z8 was a coupe …
Smit does not specify which vehicle the Oletha is based on; it is probably not a Z8. The proportions of the vehicle are more reminiscent of a first-generation Z4 Coupé (type E86) with a new body. The curved front lights on either side of a thin grille with horizontal “beans”, the generous curves of the rear wings, the very narrow rear light units and the general finesse of the lines undeniably recall the Z8. A movable spoiler is integrated into the trunk. Equipped with a body in composite material based on carbon fiber, the Oletha is 4.35 m long, 26 cm longer than a Z4 Coupé. The air intake in the front hood hints at the very sporty character of the car.
An M3 V8 under the hood
It is a V8 which drives the Oletha, not the S62 of the Z8, but the S65 which fitted the most efficient versions of the BMW M3 type E92. This atmospheric block of 4.4 L of displacement develops here “more than” 450 hp and can take 8,500 rpm. Equipped with an eight-butterfly intake with carbon manifold and an exhaust system combining stainless steel and Inconel, the engine is associated with a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited slip differential. Adjustable suspension, specific brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires complete the range.
For now, Smit does not reveal the interior of the Oletha which is still at the prototype stage. The firm offers potential customers to express their interest by message but nothing is said about the transformation process (probably from a vehicle supplied by the customer), the price or a possible defined number of copies.
TO READ. BMW Z1 (1988-1991). A roadster still unique after 30 years
