Friday, August 11, 2023

most of us have been caught speeding , but who has ever done so behind the wheel of a car of their own design, let alone a Ferrari? Only designer Kiyoyuki "Ken" Okuyama, in his Enzo

As reported by the Japan Times, industrial designer Kiyoyuki "Ken" Okuyama was caught speeding in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture on the morning of October 1, 2022.

Okuyama was behind the wheel of his Ferrari Enzo, a car he just happened to play a significant role in designing. The Enzo was clocked by police at 79 mph, 54 mph over the posted speed limit of 25 mph

The 63-year-old received a four-month prison sentence from the Yamagata District Court, suspended for two years. "I will make sure this will never happen again and will contribute to society. I am very sorry," said Okuyama, expressing contrition after the judgment. His defense had been that he was attempting to cool the Enzo's engine by traveling at higher speed, with his sentence suspended thanks to his open admission of fault.

Notably, after picking up the role of design director at Pininfarina in 1995, Okuyama would go on to be the first non-Italian charged with the design of a Ferrari when he worked on the Enzo. Other credits of his include the original Porsche Boxster, the 996-generation 911, and the E8-Series Shinkansen bullet train.

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