A graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Ken Okuyama helped to shape the modern supercar landscape during his tenure at Pininfarina. In more recent years, he’s designed a number of audacious concepts such as the Kode57 and the Kode Zero, both of which have appeared for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
The sleek and sexy Kode57 roadster concept is based on Ferrari 599 underpinnings, though the engine has been massaged by Novitec to develop 700bhp. In our opinion, it’s about as good a modern homage to the legendary 1950s Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa as you’re going to see, striking the perfect balance between aggressive and elegant.
The comparatively blunt-looking Kode Zero, on the other hand, follows an entirely different approach, harking back to the early 1970s when the likes of Marcello Gandini were ripping up the rulebook and penning revolutionary cars such as the Lancia Stratos and Lamborghini Countach. Appropriately, it’s based on the Lamborghini Aventador, though utilises a carbon-fibre monocoque structure.
Whoever said Japanese cars aren’t evocative? Both of these cars blend cutting-edge technology with retro-modern design that’s truly unlike anything we’ve seen from the renowned Italian manufacturers in recent years. Here are two ways of further safeguarding the legacy of one of modern automotive design’s true greats.
Photos: TPE Ltd.
