Ken Okuyama Cars has unveiled the Kode89 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The Japanese studio's new flagship combines a mid-mounted V12 with a manual gearbox, and production is capped at eight cars.
The formal world premiere took place on August 16 on Pebble Beach's Concept Lawn. The car had already made a surprise public preview three days earlier during the Tour d'Elegance, giving spectators an early look before the concours.
Kode89 also marks a departure from several of Okuyama's earlier independent cars, which began with platforms from established manufacturers. Carscoops reports that the new model uses a bespoke aluminum spaceframe developed in-house. The open body has classic mid-engine proportions and styling intended to evoke the late-1980s and early-1990s supercar era.
Its manual transmission and V12 matter more to the concept than chasing a headline output figure. Okuyama, whose Pininfarina work included the Ferrari Enzo, is using the Kode89 as a more personal interpretation of an analog supercar at a time when manual V12 road cars have become exceptionally rare.
Only eight examples are planned. Reporting cited by Carscoops indicated that the first year's allocation was already sold out at the time of the Monterey debut.