Sleek new Oletha S54 is powered by a BMW straight-six | GRR
One of the most beautiful things to savour in the performance car world, is when a manufacturer takes a ‘less is more’ approach. That’s exactly what Smit Vehicle Engineering in the US has done with its stunning Oletha sports coupe. See, it normally comes with a singing BMW V8. Now, per your choice, you can have it with the outstanding S54 BMW M straight-six.
The Oletha Coupe marries some timeless BMW Z8 design influences into a stunning Coupe body, into which a 4.4-litre version of BMW M’s S65 V8 was originally fitted, with over 450PS. Now, this second engine is a 3.4-litre version of the straight-six once found in the E46 BMW M3. Wearing a CSL-style carbon inlet and with that capacity increase, it’s now good for 400PS (294kW) and revs of up to 8,000rpm.
The straight-six Oletha loses 45kg compared to its V8 sibling, getting down under 1,400kg, while a perfect 50:50 weight distribution is retained. SVE describes the six-speed manual gearbox as the ‘preferred option’ and we can absolutely endorse that.
“By fusing the latest developments in engineering and manufacturing technologies with the mechanical masterpieces of the past, we believe we are blending powerful motorsport performance with something elegant and refined, something understated yet incredibly exciting,” said SVE co-founder Kaess Smit.
Sounds good to us. The first customer SVE Olethas are being readied for customers, with production having begun in the summer. We look forward to seeing – and hearing – one on our shores one day.