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The Ferrari Enzo's designer isn't worried about the future of supercars

Ken Okuyama is a talented designer with a prestigious portfolio. He spent 12 years at the famed Italian design house Pininfarina after a stint with GM's Advanced Design Studio, where he worked on the C5 Corvette. He also styled the Boxster and 996-generation 911 at Porsche. His first Ferrari design was the Rossa concept car, though his most famous creation is the Enzo. Now Okuyama runs a design studio that not only is responsible for the new Kode57 supercar that debuted in Monterey this past weekend, but also eye glasses, civic planning, and even Japanese bullet trains. We caught up with Okuyama at the Concorso Italiano car show, plopped down on a couple of plush leather chairs right in front of his brand new Kode57, and chatted about what the future holds for car design. Alex Kierstein: Lately there's been a lot of talk about autonomy and future mobility. What sort of challenges and opportunities do you think this autonomous future is going to provide for you as a car designer? Ken Okuyama: It is a really fantastic time for designers because of two reasons. One is that the public and private transport have been two separate, completely different industries up until now. Now, when you think about the future of autonomy, that really brings the automobiles into something more of a public transportation. You really have to think about the total experience of the customers from buying the ticket to the paying mechanism. That's just hardware, actually. It is a huge challenge for engineers and designers, and I really love that. That's one reason. Another reason is that just like horses were a means of transport 100 or so years ago, up until Henry Ford mass-produced the Model T. Now, maybe sports cars are becoming like horses. Now, horses are a great object for hobby, sports, and part of the Olympics and everything. Cars are going to be like that also. Dr. Porsche [was asked what type of] automobile is going to last for the longest time. He said, "the sports car." I really believe in that, because with sports cars, you never lose a sense of ownership. Autonomous vehicles are things you don't have to own. You have to design a total experience and the whole operation. A car, you want to own it. It's part of you. Your mechanical watches, do you borrow them from somebody? You want to own it. Your suits, your favorite shirts, you want to borrow them from somebody for your experience? No, you want to own it. Ownership is a core part of human beings.

This 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California could sell for $17 million

Ferraris of all stripes typically command high prices, but the ones that bring in the serious money always have at least one of a few things behind them: additional rarity, racing heritage, famous ownership. This 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider definitely has at least two, and arguably three. The car is one of just eight built with an aluminum body. It also participated in Le Mans, taking home third place for its class, and fifth place overall. Finally, it was campaigned by the Ferrari North American Racing Team, typically referred to as N.A.R.T. As a result, RM Sotheby's estimates this Ferrari roadster will sell for between $14 million and $17 million. Supporting the high valuation are other important things car collectors look for. The car has been certified as authentic by Ferrari's official classic department. It's also won its class at Pebble Beach after its first restoration was completed in 1983. It was restored again between 2010 and 2011 to bring it back to its original race-ready paint scheme. Besides the car's extensive history, it's a gorgeous machine. The 250 GT California line is one of the more iconic from Ferrari, thanks in part to a red replica being the star car of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." The silver and blue color combination is unique and works great. It should also be a superb driver, with a race-prepped engine and notably lighter body. According to RM Auctions, the seller says it's excellent to drive, and if that's him in the pictures, we'd say his smile confirms his claims. The car goes on the block Dec. 6 at RM Sotheby's auction in New York City. To paraphrase Mr. Bueller himself, if you have the means, we highly recommend picking this one up. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione by Scaglietti View 30 Photos Image Credit: Diana Varga courtesy of RM Sotheby's Motorsports Ferrari Auctions Convertible Racing Vehicles Classics ferrari 250 gt california north american racing team

Totaled Ferrari Dino sculpture sold for $250k

How much would you pay for a Dino? Although this sub-brand was supposed to offer lower-cost alternatives to more expensive Ferraris, a 246 GTS model with "chairs and flares" can fetch big bucks. The later, more angular 308 GT4 is less desirable, but the one above just sold for $250,000. Oh, and it's a complete wreck - an absolute write-off, as you can see. So how did it fetch a quarter million when it wouldn't be worth that much in pristine condition? Because this is art.
"Objet trouvé", to be specific, the French term for a common object elevated to a work of art. That's the way it ended up displayed by celebrated French artist Bertrand Lavier and the Galerie Yvon Lambert at the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain (FIAC) art fair at the Grand Palais in Paris last week, where an unnamed Turkish collector paid the landmark price. Let's hope he's not planning on restoring it, because it's apparently worth more totaled.