The new Daihatsu Copen Coupe may be the one grabbing
the attention with its cutesy retro lines, but it’s not the only variant of the
little kei roadster being shown at the Tokyo Auto Show. Joining its hardtop
brother on the Daihatsu stand is the Copen GR Sport Concept, which, as the name
suggests, has been developed in partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing and is a
thinly-veiled preview of a production model.
Apart from the smattering of GR badges found all
around the car, this particular Copen also wears the “Functional Matrix” front
grille that we’ve seen on a number of Japan-only Toyota GR models, along with a
large rear diffuser and 16-inch BBS forged alloy wheels.
Inside, there are Recaro seats and a redesigned
instrument cluster, and Daihatsu also claims that it has worked with TGR to
tune the chassis and increase body rigidity.
No mechanical changes were listed, but the standard
Copen is powered by a 660 cc turbocharged three-cylinder as per kei car
regulations, producing 64 PS at 6,400 rpm and 92 Nm of torque at 3,200 rpm. It
is paired to either a CVT with a seven-speed function or a five-speed manual
gearbox.
