Smit Oletha prototype presented at Monterey Car Week!

Recently updated on January 31, 2022 at 06:10 am

The Monterey Car Week 2021 California is once again a paradise for car fans and convinces with many new releases. And in the context of the show, the Smit Oletha prototype. And that's one of the most unusual vehicles on the auto show. And it is very reminiscent of the rare BMW Z8. Rarely because there were only exactly 5.703 units from series production, which were made between March 2000 and July 2003. And of course the Z8 is also available as a "company car" from James Bond 007 known. And now, almost exactly 21 years later, Smit Vehicle Engineering (Willem and Kaess Smith) created a more modern Z4 with a Z86 Coupé of the type E2006 from 8 and many design changes. Strictly speaking, it should probably be more like that Z07 coupe and the BMW 507 be interpreted. It was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1998 and at the Detroit Auto Show in 1999 and was practically the closed version of the Z8. However, BMW could not bring itself to a production version. 

Smit Oletha prototype

The Oletha prototype shows itself with extra side windows behind and above the narrow Z8 style LED taillights is a retractable spoiler installed. At the front, the headlights are also reminiscent of the Z8 and Z7 and the shape of the kidneys is similar. Only the round ones Fog Lights are not installed. There is one for that Bonnet with air intake.

Incidentally, all body parts are hand-made carbon components, which is also the case for the specially developed retractable rear spoiler is applicable. And that's interesting too Technology under the carbon dress. There was not about the five-liter S62 V8 naturally aspirated engine with 400 PS & 500 NM from the M5 (E39) or the 4,8-liter engine with 381 PS from Alpina, Smit Vehicle Engineering chose the 4,0-liter, high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 engine (S65B40) from the BMW M3 of the E90/E92/E93 series. However, this should now be good 450 instead of the standard 420 hp and in addition 461 NM torque due to specially developed Carbon parts for the intake system as well as a high quality Stainless steel Inconel sports exhaust with tailpipes from the 3D printer. You want to build on the 4,4-liter V8 of the M3 GTS. And in view of that Empty weight of only 1.401 kilograms, that could also work easily. Then Highway speed reaches the coupe after just four seconds.

3,2-liter in-line six-cylinder from the M3

And you even have that as an option 3,2-liter straight-six (S54) from the E46 M3 in the bag. Incidentally, the compact coupe is shifted with one manual ZF six-speed gearbox and there is one on the rear axle mechanical limited slip differential. And for the chassis, Smit uses Vehicle Engineering two-way adjustable KW damper and with regard to the brakes, a system of AP Racing. Finally there would be forged wheels made from a single piece of aluminium Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and the fact that only a maximum of 100 vehicles (right-hand drive & left-hand drive) are to be created at the base price of 450.000 US dollars. And the cabin? That is up to now not released! If we get more information, there will of course be an update for this report. You will be informed of this if you simply do ours Feed subscribe to. Have fun watching the pictures and stay true to us!

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Smit Oletha prototype for Monterey Car Week
Photo credit: Smit Vehicle Engineering

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