Some cars are expensive if you get caught speeding, especially if it’s a supercar. It also isn’t just an American thing either. One Japanese man got caught speeding in a Ferrari. The kicker is that it was one of his own designs. Who was this Japanese designer, and what is he known for? Also, why was he speeding in the first place and what was his punishment? Let’s take a look 

The incident in the Ferrari

In October of 2022, Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama was driving up a mountain road in North Central Japan. He was taking out his Ferrari Enzo model when the local police pulled him over for speeding in the Yamagata prefecture. He was the first non-Italian to design a Ferrari model, but he get caught up in the whirlwind of a high-performance car.

It turns out that he was clocked going 128 kph (approximately 79 mph) in a 40 kph (25 mph) zone. The ironic part of all this is that he was caught speeding in the very car that he had a hand in designing, according to Hagerty. 

He was summoned to trial in February 2023 to answer to the charge. Okuyama plead guilty to the crime, but he explained that he was driving fast to cool down the 6.0-liter Tipo F140B V12 engine that had an output of 650 hp. 

What is the punishment for this case?

An argument proceeded between the lawyers and the judge as to the severity of the crime. Okuyama was driving about 88 kph over the limit (approximately 55 mph over). The prosecutors felt the sentence should’ve been for four months of jail time. Okuyama’s lawyers thought it was too steep of a punishment considering he was only trying to cool the car’s engine down, which the car was known for. 

However, the prosecutors and the judge overseeing the case weren’t high-performance sports car enthusiasts, because the judge handed down a sentence of four months in jail. But, the sentence could be stayed, provided Okuyama agreed to keep his nose clean of any more incidents like that in the next two years. According to The Drive, his sentence was stayed due to his admission of fault. 

The car designer accepted his fate and made a vow to reporters outside of the courtroom that he would make sure there were no further issues. He then proceeded to apologize for his actions and promised to contribute to society. 

Who is Okuyama and what is his role with Ferrari?

Okuyama is one of Japan’s biggest talents, graduating from California’s Art Center College of Design. His name was made famous when he became director of design at Pininfarina in 1995. From there he went on to design the Ferrari Enzo as well as a few other Ferrari vehicles. 

He’s also worked for GM and Porsche. He’s had a hand in designing the 4th generation Chevy Camaro, 996 generation Porsche 911, and the first Porsche Boxster. Currently, he has his own business, called Ken Okuyama Design.

With this company, he develops a variety of products including items like eyewear and tea sets. He even produces a couple of concept cars. One is the Kode 61 Birdcage and the other is the Kode 0.  

It goes to show that even the most famous designers who’s worked for the likes of Ferrari, GM, and Porsche isn’t immune to speeding laws. You might want to remember that the next time you happen to get behind the wheel of a high-performance sports car.