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Smit Vehicle Engineering / Ted Seven Photography
BMW never made a production fixed-roof version of its beautiful Z8 Roadster from the early 2000s. That didn’t stop Smit Vehicle Engineering, a small team of two brothers, from building theirs. The kicker? SVE’s car is not based on a Z8, it appears to be based on its little brother, the Z4.
Instead of mutilating one of the original 400 Z8 Roadsters built by BMW by grafting a makeshift hardtop onto the body, SVE decided to use an E86-generation Z4 coupe as the basis for their car, called Oletha. While it is not disclosed on the company’s website, a few seconds of looking at pictures will reveal it. The body is a carbon fiber composite, while the front and rear fairings, with their separate headlights, wide kidney-shaped grilles, and super slim taillights, are a clear nod to the original Z8.
Gone are the in-line six cylinders of the Z4 Coupe, in its place a naturally aspirated 4.4-liter S65B44 V8 from the E92-generation M3 GTS, a car that was not sold in America. It sports individual throttle bodies, a carbon fiber intake manifold, and a custom stainless steel and Inconel exhaust system. The engine spins at 8,500 rpm and sends power to the rear wheels via an appropriate six-speed manual transmission and mechanical limited-slip differential. It’s like a mashup of BMW’s greatest hits.
Tucked inside the wheel arches is a KW 2-way adjustable suspension system with stainless steel shock absorber construction. It is paired with forged aluminum control arms that support AP Racing brakes and forged one-piece wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Inside you’ll find a two-seater layout “dressed in the highest quality materials,” according to SVE, along with 8-way adjustable seats and an “audiophile-grade” sound system.
The Oletha is available to order now on SVE’s site, although the company does not list any prices, which is not surprising for a low-volume manufacturer like this. Considering all the high quality materials and custom work that goes into building this car, we think it doesn’t come cheap. But what you get is one of the coolest tributes to early 2000s BMW history we’ve seen. Judging by the specs, it’s probably a joke to drive.
via Autoblog
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