Smit Oletha: The $450k Z8 Coupe BMW never made | Top Gear
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- It’s not what you think it is, this car. You’re probably looking at it and thinking ‘what have they done to a BMW Z8?’ But all is not as it seems here. This is not a BMW Z8 coupe so much as a greatest hits of BMW’s parts bin. It’s called the Smit Oletha and it’s the brainchild of two engineering-obsessed brothers from California, Willem and Kaess Smit. Both have mechanical engineering backgrounds, one in aerospace and advanced composites, the other in automotive with stints at both Tesla and Singer. But have they built the car BMW never would? We sent Top Gear Magazine's Ollie Marriage to California to investigate.
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This may be one of the most beautiful cars I've ever seen. It's like an e-type and Z8 blended together.
It looks like it came right out of GTA V Online
8C as well no?
The sky is blue
It looks like it got punched in the nose and it's swollen
@@hairspringwatches Was literally just about to comment that...it was like the first thing i spotted within the design.
That looks....soooooo good!
When I was 17 dated a girl simply so I could meet her dad that I knew had a Z8. He took me for a ride and it really was a fantastic car. Great sound.
I think it’s gorgeous. I thought that the front looked a little off. Still gorgeous, though. At 3/4 view I think it shines the most. I wish BMW had built their version of this car when it was in production, but I’ll remain content with the fact that it exists at all.
This is the most beautiful car I have seen. 😍😍😍😍😍
Mind-blowing modification.
It seems to me like Disney took this engine sound for the greatest Lightning McQueen!
Reminds me a lot of the Alfa 8C, right?
Back when the original Z8 came out, a friend of my mine was working as a Mercedes salesman at a dealer that also had a BMW franchise. We were shopping for a new Mercedes at the time and he showed us the Z8 in the parking lot. What a lovely car the original Z8 is, but this is even more beautiful. Too bad BMW is no longer building beautiful cars.
The Z8 is one of the most beautiful cars ever made in my opinion.
Mercedes is tho
AMG GT wow
I beg to differ bmw are selling betting then ever lol
@@Tm0n3y762 doesnt mean that they are selling beautiful cars
@@federicoguinand9451 selling to non-enthusiasts
That sound is amazing 👏 no pops no bangs just more of the engine and just the right match exhaust sound..
Yeah... it has the intake resonating sounds normally associated with the good old N/A engines of the past with an american muscle tone to it.
Why would anyone want pops and crackles over that : )
Wonderful
@Damar Fadlan Hello there
I was about to say that. No OPF, rev limiter or pops & bangs 👌🔥🔥🔥
It sounds like a cruddy American camaro. No thanks
@@Bearly7feettall What??
That car is beautiful
☝️ report low rent porn/cr*p like this
Want one, looks incredible
Merc gt
If only BMW made good looking cars nowadays
It’s so sad man
I know what you mean but they still do, you just have to select carefully.
Extremely well done. Can't say a single thing I don't like about it. Almost half a mil is a lot of money sure but if say it's worth it.
I don't know, man. For that money, I'd much prefer the Lexus LFA over this.
@@ytsux9259 Or just keep the V8 in an M3, this looks like 3200 GT Maserati.
Original Z8 for less, pls.
You’re a friend of the Makers wanna bet?
The front has been ruined:(
I got to see this car in person in San Diego, and it was spectacular. The fit and finish alone were truly sensational, and - in person - the car looks even better. It’s a truly exciting and original build - and I’m in love.
This is a cool car…and the back of it looks amazing 🤩
Wow. That looks fantastic. When I started watching though, I thought it was a shame they had cut up a Z8, but since it's a Z4 (in itself a pretty car, but not so rare) it's actually all good news.
Z4m coupes actually are pretty rare. Not z8 status, but definitely hard to find. As I am writing this; I don't remember if he said it could only be done with the coupe or its not chassis specific.
@@nuu-age1118 Actually the Z4M Coupé is a rarer car than the Z8
Same! This thing is fantastic
Apart from the $450K Z4 price tag.
@@aabidamn please do ignore the fact that this car is like the bmw equivalent to a singer 911 in every way except for the interior
Love it. That's a classy understated grill. The whole car is beautiful. The interior is a bit of a let down though
Even up until the last generation of BMW line up their grills are still sort of widening horizontally throughout the years, but... sigh... we all know what happened....
They really took the absolute best bits from the z4 coupe and z8 platforms. I'm very impressed by how it looks, especially from behind.
I'd buy this instantly if this was in a bmw showroom. Some of their current design language could take away a lot from this car and it's beautiful appearance.
Aside from the headlights, the car would still look new 20 years from now
As a Z4M Coupe owner, this is awesome to see. My end-goal is to put an S65 V8 into my own car, and seeing it done (a few others have as well) always makes it seem more like a reality. Although I want to swap mine in to be California CARB/SMOG legal, and am 90% sure I will be able to work within the letter of the law to do so.
@@rahulsudhir666 love the Z4 GT3 car such a brutal race car
Too bad the 4.4 stroker kits are $10k
You've got the marvelous straight 6, no need V8
@@VincentPiquet he wants the worst part of an American car with some of the best parts of European cars it makes sense if you're American probably remember they do eat lead paint chips in school v ate mo der 🤠 ironically I would get something like a Dodge and slap a V12 in there British eccentricity at it's finest
And then another lunatic was even able fit an S85 in a Z4.
Weird thing when I see the shapes of Z8 I can feel them, that is almost the only car I have a strong tactile memory to, loved it since I was 10, since 1999 or 2000 when I saw Pierce Brosnan driving it as agent 007 and when I bought the car, but 1/18 size. The feeling of shapes still in memory like I'm touching it with my eyes
You bought car 🤣🤣
Same story
@@RCmaniac667 So cool to hear :)
That one looked better than this one imo. This one looks like it's face had an allergic reaction and it swelled up
tf he smokin m8s
If only BMW made cars that looked something like that these days.
8 Series is the closest we’ve got. Great car, but not an old car.
If only we could have cars with v8 that sound this good. Nowadays, there is no car with v8 that sounds this good anymore.
@@adambenk0 The Shelby GT500 and GT350 would like to have a word with you, in fact, so do the Camaro, Charger, Challenger, pretty anything that’s American performance.
@@magnustan841 They dont sound this good but they sound much better than anything money can buy in EU (except 911 gt3 which you cant buy :D)
@@adambenk0 AMG still do a very good job, but I agree, with all the other stuff from M and RS, you have to get something aftermarket if you’re really chasing that anti-social stuff. To be honest, most owners would have done it anyway, so I don’t know why a fair few are complaining so much. Plus, it’s not even the manufacturer’s fault. The latest models have exhausts that work with those filters, so that will improve things somewhat. So long as the car sounds good from the inside, happy days.
What a contrast to the butt-ugly vehicles BMW is going with now
Stunning design - really impressive 👍
Best sounding engine I've ever heard. EVER. What a car. What a beauty!!
Beautiful scenery, makes the car look even better
Hey do you know where that is ? Is it in California ?
Yep! Cleveland National Forest near Lake Henshaw.
Palomar Mountain, California! Nice place to drive for us in San Diego County
Watching and enjoying the creation and realized hot damn I know that road well!
Why couldn’t Bmw produce this from factory absolutely gorgeous
Because 3d printing carbon fibre parts weren't a thing back in 2000, when the Z8 was made.
@@Orcawhale1 I think he meant design-wise. Current BMW cars looked like they were designed by a 12 year old.
@@devandrasimanjuntak1646 It still wouldn't have been able to look like that, even if were just talking design.
I have seen this car in person they bring it out to shows every now and then. As someone who has done a few custom builds the composite layouts and seams were the best I have ever seen outside of a MSO 720s. When you think of the small build numbers it makes it even more impressive. It really is a complete package.
This car looks like a alfa romeo from germany and sounds like a dodge charger nice car looks great
Nothing like a charger sound..
I had a Z8 in the day my misses hated it now I hate her , I sold it because of her and she left me a while later , life sucks sometimes 🤦🏻♂️😂
Not sure, feels like curves at the back dont really match bmw design language, may as well have used the z4 platform and did an original front as well
That Design is just amazing. I am a huge Fan of the Z8. I really hope BMW makes a reunion of this Car.
@@mb1326 Honestly I don't like their current design. Chris Bangle was a genius .
This is stunning, but to be honest the Z4 Coupe is one of the most beautiful cars BMW has ever made! Totally underrated!
This is cool, but I thought it was a genuine BMW prototype. It’s just custom which is cool but nothing bmw put together
This car was in need for speed hot persuit 2
I would still go for the original Z8: the interiors of the Z4 are pretty ugly, whereas the design of the Z8 cabin is a timeless gem.
Would be easy to have it custom made
I have to disagree with the dash. For me the center positioned clustermeter made the car look like a Japanese MPV.
@@aabidamn Fair enough, it’s a matter of personal taste and judgment, there’s no right or wrong. Cheers!
Sublime and beautiful...but super similar to an F type coupe to my eye....sound too. Love it but one can get a 575hp Type R for 65k all day long (3y old)....done. This is great, but I'd probably rather get the Jag and have 390k in the bank.
It looks like a Z8 mixed with a Z4 coupe which is what it is ...both much older cars than the F Type
It looks like a proper Bond car.
@@giselle8924 yes but I think it captures the essence of the classic bond cars too, that's also for fans over 50 years old
It's a much more beautiful AMG GT
Such a beautiful car. The Z8 is one of the best looking cars ever made. This one is definitely a rival for the title.
Huge bmw fan here, but! Thats only a beefed up z4 coupe, which is one of the best design ever made by Bmw by my criteria. Although it looks like a z8 kit car, doesnt look too bad. Than there is the price, 450k is huge money, i assume you could buy a second hand singer, or couple of 911 or a supetcar. Thats really stupid, sorry.
Try and build it for much less.
@@briangreen6602 I can't, but that does not matter, it's unnecessary.
@@bkirkbir What kind of attitude is it to say a bespoke low volume car is 'unnecessary' ?
These low volume bespoke cars are likely bought by people who have already purchased the supercars and the luxury yachts on wheels.
@@briangreen6602 this kind
Looks like they copied JAGUAR F-Type.
Wow love the engine and exhaust sound and agree with the 60s cobra characterization about the feel and style. But for the price, in my opinion, the dash and seats would need an upgrade or customization in materials and design-it seems completely untouched from the donor car.
I absoulutely love the car but i must agree with you about interior. Still… im in love😀
Clarkson would’ve delivered the message in half the time
Reducing lift Is very different to adding downforce. One make your car safer, not like the first generation of Audi TT, the other make your car faster on corner. They affect the same thing, the weight of the car, but lift mean that with the speed became lighter, downforce the opposite
Don't do bad journalism please, be more clever and less sold after stupid marketing.
I don‘t see it close to an E Type. And it seems more like a Z4 with an Z8 style bodykit, than a Z8 coupe.
Nevertheless nice job.
It looks to me like a Porsche caymans had sex with BMW Z8 and this is what happened nice but yeah I don't see the E-Type myself
Less lift is not down force, it is just less lift.
Reminds me of the Alpha Disco Volante
If the Porsche 928 existed today, it would look similar to this.
Always been a quiet fan of the Z8, now I want one of these.
Looks like an early Wiesmann (edit: but modern)
Love the looks. Much better than Z4 and Z8. Great job.
BMW should've never discontinued the Z8, they've been lacking a proper two seater sports car for ages. It could've been for BMW what the SLS was for Mercedes, the start of a new lineage of cars (AMG GT).
Had a Z4m coupe and an E92 M3, this is a nice combo!
Not a restomod for me. Too much has changed. Much more it's own thing. Which is good
In 2009, I had a boss who owned a Z8. I had a chance to sit in it and check it out. I remember being impressed at what it was, and thinking, wow, this is really nice, but I wasn't blown away by its beauty. I definitely am with this. This is stunning.
This thing is gorgeous! & looks like it’s so enjoyably to drive. What a car 😍
Perfect engine swap for the E86 platform. Really want to do this to a standard Z4 Coupé.
I’m surprised more people haven’t done the engine swap. It’s a great idea
This is the route BMW should have went with instead of the current verticle style nose.
Wow I'm in love....
Fantastic video, Ollie. I love that car and your review was excellent. Could listen to that engine all day long.
Absolutely love this, Congratulations guys, I have been looking at my Z8 1:18 model car since I was a kid, And having owned a bmw recently I agree they don't make good cars anymore. And I prefer there older stuff.
What a beautiful car, and one which from the description drives very much the way I like to drive. I agree 911GT3 is not really the comparator. To me the Porsche it evokes is a hypothetical modernised 928GTS. I wonder if they can make them in right-hand drive?
The Z8 was one of my very favourite BMW's ever but this is so beautiful...I want to buy a Z4 so that they can turn it into this. I'd put a Lexus IS500 5.0L V8 and transmission in it for reliablity and it would be my daily driver forever
It’s absolutely gorgeous! One of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever seen!
It looks sensational... absolutely serving design!
Reviewing a car that was never made? Waste of time video.
It’s such a joy to watch in 4K, thanks for the unmatched quality.
BMW, look, this is beautiful design, but not your late models
What an absolute beefcake. Masterful work.
Coupes are so much better looking open-tops
This dude makes me uncomfortable lol
The front is uglier than z8 but rear is great.
Z8. E39 m5 engine. Most visceral, incredible thing ive ever experienced.
That is so much better than a z8..
big middle thinger to the current bmws
that is one of the most gorgeous cars ive ever seen...top 5 of all time
Really beautiful, but maybe just missing the logo at the front
I absolutely don't like BMW's, but that engine is amazing!
It’s a fantastic piece of design I think that back end is truly wondrous, the tail lights are perfectly proportional, the spoiler looks great up or down, just wow 👍🏻🏴
Well that's quite a beautiful machine!
This car would have been incredible from a time before BMW was styled by a Bugs Bunny enthusiasts
*What a sleek looking car they've done some upgrading listen to that exhaust* 😝
just lovely
That is in the top 10 if not top five most beautiful cars I've ever seen. The sound makes it all the more so.
Gorgeous locations for the video too. Looks like California
Cleveland National Forest near Lake Henshaw
Ya definitely wish they made that type of Z8
What a beauty
I think this is a brilliant idea. I’m not talking about the work, or the engine, or the fact they used a Z4… i’m talking about quitting your job at Tesla.
No more seriously, this is really cool.
Just shows how great the original BMW z4 Coupe e86 platform was. It's more rare than the Z8 to begin with, even if it's not where near the price.
That thing is absolutely beautiful just imagine if bmw actually produced something like that today
By the way are the tail lights from a Porsche ?
Great video, beautiful car!! The Z8 is ofc in a different league to a Z4 MC and could never be butchered.
But in terms of rarity, they made fewer Z4MCs than Z8s, and I bet a way fewer are still alive.
This doesn't have to come from a Z4M coupe though, just a regular E86 Z4 coupe would work as a base and they are much more plentiful.
@@feuderali1234 maybe. The donor in the video was an M. You could see the S54 sat there whilst it was being stripped. The interior features the M carbon dash and M embossed nappa seats too.
I suspect all the differences in the M over the non-M are in favour of the build ! Control arms / geometry / boot floor - battery location / interior - seats / dashboard / dials / door cards. By the time you source an M interior and other bits needed, i bet it wouldn’t make sense to use a non M. Not to mention then selling on the s54 and other parts !
@@feuderali1234 they made around the same amount Z4 coupes as the Z4 m coupes
@@twrowbotham The standard Z4 coupe came with almost the same equipment as the M except some suspension parts lsd and of course the engine interior could be spec same as M or even better with extended leather package. Have the non m myself
@@anthonygillesse7242 tbh, I'm quite surprised that they left the interior on this standard, for the money they charge!!
Yes I had the e85si, loved that engine. So smooth! And the ride! I've since had an MC for
That is nice
450k … and an LS swap with an Akrapovic, would cost how much!
Shocking, truly shocking!
Not even close to worth it's money
ya its a great looking car and is very cool but its not worth 450k imo.
This is really nice with the V8, but I certainly wouldn’t mind if it had the original Z4 M Coupe 350hp straight 6.
The Z8 is my favorite car, owned one for years in silver. This? This is horrible. Probably my least favorite BMW interior. Makes it look like a 3 series. The Z8’s charm is in the drivers seat looking at the gauges and interior styling. Also, the outer design looks like some cheap hot rod Kindig / Counts custom car. Makes sense when you look at the two yanks who made it. I bet you a million $ they were bought 3 series by Daddy and loved that car so they had to ruin the interior of a Z8 donor car. Horrible design. Horrible note too. Sounds like a Yankee muscle car - camaro like. NO THANKS. I’ll take German muscle. If you wanted to ruin a bmw engine, just swap it out for AMG.
Please GIVE THESE GUYS A JOB and FIRE THOSE INCOMPETENTS currently misguiding Bmw!!!!
This project is absolutely INSANE 💯❤
It's a real shame BMW never made anything like this. Their best platform to date was the '07-'08 Z4M, and then they just... discontinued it? I'd have this in a heartbeat if BMW started making one, but that ship has sailed for me, BMW no longer makes anything I like. I've moved on to Porsche after some downright rotten ownership experiences with subsequent BMWs.
I prefer the Weissmann
Kinda see why they decided on old Z models. Newer models are Hideous laughable .what happened to BMW ??I’m thinking there’s just using the badge to get by.However the Z8 is by far the Pinnacle of BMW aesthetics!! this is diabolically Wickedly gorgeous.
Jesus. Learn how to weld. You could start from scratch with no restrictions. Or inhibitions. Instead you aim to make as much money as possible from a shitty entry level convertible as your base platform. Even if it was perfect you could save a TON O F WEIGHT . Or at least 309 lbs with a real chassis …. But that would be more complicated than making a bolt on kit car and making $400k on top of the donor parts