Ken Okuyama has gone deliberately old-school with his latest supercar, pairing a naturally aspirated V12 with a six-speed manual and retro-inspired styling.
The Kode89 made its world debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 16, following a surprise appearance at the Tour d’Elegance three days earlier. Ken Okuyama Design describes it as the company’s new flagship, with production limited to just eight examples.
Its name points back to 1989, a year Okuyama considers a high point for automotive design. The car takes particular inspiration from the Pininfarina Mythos concept, with a low, angular shape that avoids the oversized wings and complicated aero seen on many modern hypercars.
Kode89 measures 4,611mm long and 1,996mm wide, but stands just 1,139mm tall. Beneath the full carbon-fibre body is a bespoke aluminium spaceframe developed in-house, so this is not simply a new body dropped onto an existing supercar platform.
Its standard engine is a naturally aspirated 5.4-litre V12 producing 540hp and 569Nm of torque. Buyers wanting something more extreme can opt for a specially developed 5.9-litre V12 that produces roughly 40% more power, putting it around the 750hp mark.
The Kode89 also keeps weight down through its carbon-fibre body and aluminium chassis, with a target figure of around 1,315kg. That gives it a very different recipe from the hybrid-assisted, four-figure-horsepower machines now common at the top of the supercar world.
Buyers will also have plenty of freedom when specifying their cars, from stripped-back configurations to much more luxurious interiors. Each customer will work with a dedicated car concierge to shape the finished example (via Motor1).
Only eight Kode89s are planned, with two already sold. For a supercar from one of the designers behind the Ferrari Enzo, its naturally aspirated V12, manual gearbox and low-slung retro body make for a refreshingly different direction.