Monterey Car Week is a pretty good marker for cars to watch out for in the future, as well as beautiful concepts that often push the boundaries of what we’ve come to expect. This year’s Californian car show was no different, with not one but two impressive gull-wing style sports cars to drool over.
We’ve already taken a look at the striking Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Super Car, so now say hello to the Kode57; maybe this year’s looks-most-like-a-Batmobile winner – the one from the sixties.
There’s no doubt about it, Ken Okuyama’s Kode57 sports car concept is a beautiful sight to behold, with seemingly every curve and angled line complimenting the next. Ken Okuyama Cars are based in Japan and are certainly beginning to make people sit up and take notice with some very handsome creations.
The power derives from a 6-litre V12 with approximately 600 horsepower, with the option of some tuning by Novitec Rosso, the famous Italian sports car tuners known for their treatments given to Ferraris. Ferrari is the link here of course, as Okuyama has in the past been responsible for the design of the Ferrari Enzo and has overseen the design of the 599 –rumour even has it that the engine in the Kode57 is straight out of a Ferrari 599 GTB, though information on the numbers and mechanics is currently pretty scant.
The Kode57 features a 6-speed semi-auto transmission to control that front mounted V12 engine. Suspension tuning is also an option for any eventual owner of this roadster also courtesy of Novitec Rosso.
Those rather uniquely styled doors are not strictly speaking gull-wing, as the Kode57 has no roof for them to attach to – although the open effect is similar. They actually open backwards and upwards.
Okuyama says that the Kode57 may well make it to full production, but only in a limited run and any future road-going vehicles will be assembled by hand in Yamagata in Japan.
As for the name, the ‘57’ pays homage to those amazing cars that cruised the streets in and around 1957. A quick look at the Cadillac from that period gives a hint as to where Okuyama was coming from when he set pen to paper. Of course, you might have also realised that the sixties Batmobile to which I referred earlier was actually based on a 1955 Lincoln Futura from the same period, the one with the twin hump cockpits.
This is easily one of the best looking concept sports cars I’ve seen in quite some time, so let’s hope it does reach its ultimate goal of full production.
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