For Smit Vehicle Engineering, the BMW Z8 Isn't Rare Enough
So it has built a custom coupe edition all for itself.
Automotive start-up Smit Vehicle Engineering has developed the BMW Z8 of its dreams, dubbed Oletha.
Back in 2000, the Chris Bangle-led design team was making some of the finest modern-classic BMWs that — to this day — remain highly sought-after rarities, and the Z8 is without fail one of the most desired. It came as a convertible with a soft-top and a hard-top if specified (or a removable hard-top in Alpina form), but this wasn’t what Smit Vehicle Engineering had dreamt of years ago. As a result, the brothers that helm this company custom-built the Oletha, which turns the Z8 into a coupe.
After rebuilding the car using a carbon fiber composite, Smit Vehicle Engineering got to work on the iconic S65B44 engine to give the N/A 4.4-liter V8 450+ BHP, enhanced using custom carbon fiber composite intake manifolds and a custom stainless steel and Inconel exhaust, which is sure to deliver a raw and raucous sound from the V8.
The exterior sees more updates than just the new coupe styling. For example, the front and rear bumpers look like they’ve been shaved and smoothed with their sans-badge finish, while the kidney grille also appears reshaped. A new hood scoop has been incorporated into the design, adding to the Z8’s stunning mix of lines and curves, while the Oletha now sits on a new set of monoblock rims that house AP Racing brakes.
Inside, you’ll find a “Driver-focused cockpit dressed in the highest quality materials,” as per the website, alongside “8-way adjustable touring or carbon fiber composite sport seats” and an “Audiophile-grade sound system.” Take a look at the Smit Vehicle Engineering Oletha above, and find out more online.
Elsewhere in the automotive world, rumors are circulating (again) about Apple’s future car debut.
