And to then find it’s a modified version of the 3.2-litre straight six that powered the E46 M3... we’re trying to figure out if a chef’s kiss delivered through tears of joy would diminish or embellish the effect. 

The Oletha offers a broader mix of ability that’s engaging and enjoyable, without any obvious compromises.

The long swooping front end, the short back section, the shoulder humps over the rear wheels. It’s all very delicately draped over the chassis and drivetrain. 

Although it looks like an original Z8, it's not trying to recreate it in the way it feels or drives - it's trying, and succeeding, in doing it better...I'd absolutely have one over an original.

And that last 2,500rpm is just so special, so screamingly intense. It’s not the speed it gains so much as how it makes you feel, the vibrations through your chest, the sense of barely tamed beast thrashing away up front. What a drivetrain, so multi-faceted and rewarding. 

It would be easy to get carried away with what is a thoroughly special driver’s car, but I probably shouldn’t try to start sliding somebody else’s carbonfibre-bodied prototype around.

This isn’t just everything we wanted the BMW Z8 to be; it’s everything we want a BMW to be

Take a Z4 Coupe, make it look like a Z8, insert an M3 GTS engine, stand back and enjoy

Smit Vehicle Engineering has done away with the flame surfacing of the donor and gone instead with a smooth, almost voluptuous body fully crafted from carbon-fiber composites.

Could this company become for old-school BMWs what Singer Vehicle Design is for air-cooled Porsche 911s or Mechatronik for older Mercedes-Benzes? We certainly believe so.

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, which is sure to deliver a raw and raucous sound.

It too is M-powered, but it's the V8 from the E92 M3 GTS. But ignore the powerplant for a second and just take in those gorgeous curves.

Now, 21 years after the roadster went into production, there may still be a chance for some interested parties to get their hands on a Z8 Coupé.