Outside of Asia, it’s fairly easy to forget that Daihatsu is still a thing. But we at Road & Track will never lose sight of Japan’s 111-year-old engine manufacturer, even if it’s been fully owned by Toyota since 2016. Especially because, subsidiary or not, there’s no question that the Daihatsu Copen is the best modern Kei-class convertible, and not just for those who think a Miata is too expensive to insure in Japan.
Back in 2015, Daihatsu created two concepts based on the second-generation Copen. The Cerro Coupe and the Robe Shooting Brake looked promising, but Daihatsu forgot to follow up on them. Yet now, the Coupe is back, for real.
Announced for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Show, the Copen Coupe will be a Japan-only limited edition of 200 cars, with options such as a sunroof, HKS suspension and a sportier exhaust. A limited-slip differential comes as standard, just to make sure the car can put down its 64 horses in any situation. The future masters of that turbocharged 660cc engine also get a Momo steering wheel, as well as paddle shifters if they are foolish enough to go for the CVT over the five-speed manual. Interestingly, the Coupé comes with the first-generation Copen’s lights, front and rear.
Unfortunately, there’s no word on the shooting brake ever making it into production.
Source: Read Full Article