Daihatsu does not build many cars like the Daihatsu Copen: a 2-door Roadster (automobile) / coupe / 2-door Roadster (automobile) / roadster (2002–2007) with Petrol engine, built from 2002 to 2026 in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids.
The background
The Daihatsu Copen (Japanese: ダイハツ・コペン, Daihatsu Kopen) is a 2-door convertible kei car built by the Japanese car company Daihatsu. It debuted at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, as the Daihatsu Copen concept. The second generation model debuted as the Kopen (Future Included) at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.
The engineering
Under the skin sits Petrol engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 810 –. The gearbox is a 5-speed Manual transmission / manual / 4-speed Automatic transmission / automatic. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2230 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
Where it sits in Daihatsu's history is not in doubt: the Daihatsu Leeza Spider came before it; it was built at Ikeda, Osaka (Ikeda plant), Japan. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Honda Accord, the Kia Sorento, the Mazda Mazda6. Its Daihatsu stablemates include the Daihatsu Applause and the Daihatsu Atrai.