Geneva 2008: Japanese ambition, the K07 Spyder
by Damon Lavrinc on Mar 7th 2008 at 8:04PM 
Click above for a gallery of the K.O. 7 and 8.
When we make the trek to Switzerland each year, there always seems to be one particular car that stands out. It's generally something unexpected from an independent automaker far removed from the spotlight. This year, tucked away in a corner cubicle of the Geneva Motor Show's basement, was the K.O. 7 Spider, a concept hailing from Japan that attempts to strike a balance between bespoke supercar and track-day terror.
There were actually two vehicles on display at the Ken Okuyama Design booth: the K.0. 8 coupe, an E.V. that's decidedly less attractive and strictly a design exercise, and the K.O. 7, a production model that will be on sale sometime in 2008.
Hit the jump for all the details.
Gallery: K.O. 7 and K.O. 8
The K.0. 7 has been bouncing around Mr. Okuyama's (the man that penned the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati Quattroporte at Pininfarina) mind for close to a decade, but once the project was approved, the model you see here was created in just under six months. The body is made of carbon fiber and stamped aluminum, and anything that could remain unpainted was, in an attempt to keep weight down. In production form, the K.O. 7 should tip the scales at around 1,650 pounds (without the optional roof) and a Toyota-sourced motor provides power. While the K.0. spokesperson we talked to remained mum on what particular engine would be fitted to the K.O. 7, the valve cover gave it away as the 2ZZ mill fitted to all manner of Toyotas and the Lotus Elise/Exige. The little upstart is claiming that the 2.0-liter engine is good for around 250 hp, which isn't out of range if they've stroked the 1.8-liter 2ZZ (possibly using a 1ZZ bottom end) and bored it out my 1mm. A V6 is also a possibility.
The K.O. 8 EV model is a bit longer than the 7 (3,710 mm versus 3,580 mm) and is powered by a three-phase electric motor making 100 kW of power. With an 18 Kwh lithium ion battery pack storing power, the coupe has a theoretical range of around 100 miles per charge.
Production of the K.O 7 will supposedly begin later this year, with only 99 examples being available for the princely sum of around $150,000. There are no plans to offer it outside of Japan at this point, but the K.O. people assured us that we'll be seeing more of them in Tokyo this winter and back in Geneva in 2009.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mars 8:13PM (3/07/2008)
the first look for me, it is an revised Jaguar, but broader bottom, also, or may be a hybrid with Renault, i ma not sure with the model displayed at the Paris AutoShow 2006
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Bruxell 8:28PM (3/07/2008)
"asushi of automobile." I dunno, sounds fishy to me... waka-waka!
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zamafir 8:37PM (3/07/2008)
I really like their attention to detail on the K07, pitty the rear on the K08 wasn't a bit cleaner.
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Das Boese 8:52PM (3/07/2008)
Hmmm, polished aluminium is sexy. It sort of looks like a bastard child of an Ariel Atom and... a Lamborghini perhaps? But not in a bad way.
I think the EV doesn't look that bad too.
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Jay 9:29PM (3/07/2008)
the KO8 is so close to being good looking, I think a little nip tuck in a few places would do wonders for it
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TwinTurbo3000GT 1:00AM (3/08/2008)
nice attempt at a jap-Ariel Atom...but it seems like something got lost in the translation.
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Kayne001 3:05PM (3/13/2008)
I second that
Dan 11:15AM (3/08/2008)
ditto on the ariel atom knockoff. i'm surprised that comment came only after 5 posts; i'm guessing had this been from a chinese manufacturer, it'd have been from post 1 where people would be brow beating them about being copycats. i'm sure it's just a coincidence that despite the idea having been in his head for over a "decade", it's just been approved now...sorta like the iphone, the idea's been in my head for over 20 years now but it's now that i'm gonna release my version of it...
LOs 12:50PM (3/08/2008)
Looks more like a 4-wheel version of the VW GX3 three wheel concept. but meh..
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Turbofrog 12:57PM (3/08/2008)
...I don't understand how you can classify this as Japanese. It was designed by Ken Okuyama, who may have been born in Italy, but was educated at ACCD in the US, before he worked for Pininfarina in Italy, where he lives.
It's the work of one man, it doesn't reflect any kind of cultural aesthetic.
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Turbofrog 12:57PM (3/08/2008)
Oops, that should say "may have been born in Japan."
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nob 7:11PM (3/10/2008)
Mr. Ken Okuyama (designer of this car)is an automobile designer who worked for Pininfarina designing or supervising projects such as the Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari 599 and P4/5.
He also helped designing Honda NSX, Porsche 911(996), Boxter, and Maserati Quattroporte.
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