Copen

The Daihatsu Copen (L880K)

Daihatsu put the first Copen on sale on 19 June 2002 and built it until August 2012: a two-seat kei roadster, hand-finished by skilled workers at the Expert Center in its Ikeda plant. Daihatsu offered two roofs: the Active Top, an electrically and hydraulically folding hard top that stows in the boot in about 20 seconds, and a lighter resin Detachable Top, sold until 2007.

The engine is the JB-DET, a 659 cc four-cylinder with a twin-scroll turbocharger and intercooler, rated at 64 PS at 6,000 rpm, the most the makers' agreement allows a kei car, and 110 Nm at 3,200 rpm. It drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, and manual cars got a limited-slip differential as standard from August 2010.

What Copen owners upgrade

The JB-DET is held back by its 64 PS rating, not by its hardware, and the most bought parts unlock it: boost controllers and standalone ECUs from the electronics range, pod filters from the intake range, and dump pipes, centre pipes and full systems from the exhaust range. Intercooler kits and cooling panels from the cooling range keep the charge cool once the boost goes up.

Rear member braces, springs and anti-roll bars from the handling range tighten the chassis, and catch tanks are common on tuned cars. HKS, D Sport, Super-Duck, Take Off, Jworks and Tanabe are among the names owners choose.

Genuine parts

The Active Top runs on an electric hydraulic pump in the boot. A roof that moves slowly is losing pressure, so check a full cycle for noise and oil leaks. Rattles at the roof joint can often be adjusted out at the locks. Rust starts at the top of the rear arches and the front of the sills, water can get into the boot through the centre brake light seal, and the turbocharger depends on regular oil changes. Roof, seal and engine parts are in our genuine Daihatsu parts catalogue.

Wheels

The Copen came on 15x4.5 +45 wheels, on a 4x100 bolt pattern with M12 x 1.5 nuts. Other sizes are listed under wheels that fit the Copen.