Daihatsu Vision Copen – RWD; 1.3 engine, dimensions no longer kei car; a proper compact sports car now

Ohayo from Tokyo Big Sight, where we are covering the Japan Mobility Show (JMS), a rebrand of the Tokyo Motor Show that was last held in 2019, before the world took a pause. To our surprise, sports cars are front, right and centre at the show’s main hall. Yes, sports cars!

You might be forgiven for thinking that the era of electric vehicles will deal a decisive blow to sports cars, especially those on the affordable side. In truth, sports cars and roadsters have for some time been on a declining trend, and there are just a handful of options left in the market.

It’s sad that young guys today aren’t as into cars as the generations before, and a sports EV would make very little financial sense to develop. Heck, even three-door hatchbacks are gone. While supercars have demand from wealthy enthusiasts, cheap fun rides are going the way of the dodo.

Not the Daihatsu Copen. The sole member of Daihatsu’s domestic small car range to not boast practicality and space, the convertible is set to live on as Daihatsu has a vision for the Copen. Literally. Say hello to the Daihatsu Vision Copen, which previews a next-generation Copen.

This little silver thing is immediately recognisable as a Copen. sporting circular front and rear lights like the OG Copen of the noughties and the Mk2’s Cero look. But there’s something more to the Vision Copen, it’s less cute and has a more sporting stance absent in the two generations so far. I see Mk1 Audi TT in the shape, do you?

Daihatsu’s vision for this car is to pursue the joy and fun of driving, while maintaining the easy-going nature of the Copen. “A convertible that evolves the DNA of the Copen, which is the joy of driving in harmony with the wind. Experience the joy and fun of open-air driving with a well-honed design and mobility performance,” the company says.

So far, the joy and fun was mostly delivered by virtue of the Copen being a roadster, but there’s more to the Vision than that. For one, this concept is rear-wheel-drive, moving away from the FF layout of the first two generations.

The F in FR is also no longer a 660 cc triple – the Vision has a 1.3 litre engine that’s carbon neutral (CN) fuel compatible. With a 1.3L engine driving the rear wheels, the Copen would be like a slightly smaller Mazda MX-5 (1.5L is the starter engine for the ND) – no longer just a curiosity but a proper compact sports car!

There’s more. The footprint of the Vision Copen is 3,835 mm long and 1,695 mm wide, both of which exceeds the kei car limit of 3.4m x 1.48m. The result is just 80 mm shorter and 40 mm narrower than the ND MX-5 – just like the engine size, it’s almost a Miata.

However, the Copen’s lack of overhangs translates to a maximised wheelbase of 2,415 mm, which is 105 mm longer than the MX-5’s. Wheels at each corner explains this roadster’s strong stance, emphasised by flared wheel arches. The rim design is rather unique, with spars that remind me of those on the Rainbow Bridge.

If this vision comes true, the Copen will be more sports car than it has ever been, but one of the Copen’s main draws has been retained – the Vision has an electric roof called Active Top. Perhaps this is what DMC meant by “maintaining the easy-going nature” of the Copen.

The trio of Mazda MX-5, Honda S660 and Daihatsu Copen has been on my to-do list for some time now, and although the mid-engined Honda has departed without a successor (RIP), it’s good that the Copen will live on, as an even better looking and performing roadster.

I’m jumping the gun and Daihatsu could be just teasing us with a flight of fancy? Well, I now daily drive the a car that was previewed by the DN Trec of Tokyo 2017 (itself an evolution of the FX from GIIAS 2015), and the Waku-Waku of TMS 2019 is now the Taft, so here’s hoping.

GALLERY: Daihatsu Vision Copen at JMS 2023

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Learn more: Japan Mobility Show 2023