Daihatsu Copen
JDM · Daihatsu
Daihatsu Copen: The Kei Roadster With a Folding Hardtop
The Daihatsu Copen is a two-seat convertible kei car with a powered folding hardtop, built in two generations from 2002 until production ended on August 26, 2026. Its name comes from "kei" and "open," spelled with a C for convertible.
The Copen debuted as a concept at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, with styling inspired by the Nissan Figaro and Audi TT Roadster. The first generation, the L880, used a 660 cc turbocharged engine to fit Japan's kei car rules, and its signature feature was the Active Top, a motorized hard roof that hides away. Some export versions got a cleaner, naturally aspirated 1.3-liter instead. Production ended in August 2012 after more than 56,000 were built.
The second generation, the LA400, went into production in 2014 on a new D-Frame monocoque. Its body used 13 resin panels, 11 of them interchangeable, so owners could change the look, and the Robe, Cero, and XPLAY versions each wore a different face. A new 660 cc turbo three-cylinder powered it. The Copen GR Sport, sold through both Daihatsu and Toyota dealers from October 2019, wore a neutral C badge instead of either company's logo.
Toyota announced in September 2025 that the GR Sport would end in August 2026, and the last second-generation Copen, a Robe in Jaune Yellow, left the Copen Factory in Ikeda on August 26, 2026. Daihatsu put LA400 production at about 57,000. On Top Gear, James May liked the first-generation car in a convertible comparison, though he found it "toy-ish."