Dahiatsu Copen GR Sport: a spicy touch for the Japanese mini-sports car

The Dahiatsu Copen GR Sport is the latest work from the sports division of Toyota and becomes a mini-format sports car of the most appealing kind.

The Dahiatsu Copen is one of those cars that puts a smile on your face just by looking at it. It is a small two-seat roadster, perfect for getting around town and enjoying the sun at the weekend.

In addition, the recipe has become even more appealing, since Toyota Gazoo Racing has carried out a thorough update of the little roadster. The sports department of the Japanese brand, which was responsible for developing the new Toyota Supra that we tested a few months ago, has added a spicy touch to this toy to present the new Dahiatsu Copen GR Sport.

Toyota owns Dahiatsu, which makes this a completely logical collaboration. This model belongs to the popular kei cars segment, those city cars that are hugely successful in Japan. For this reason, the sports division has not reworked the mechanical side, so under the bonnet it still carries the tiny 660 cc three-cylinder engine producing 63 CV.

That may seem like a very low output for a car with sporty pretensions, but its size must also be taken into account: it measures less than 3.5 metres in length and weighs just 850 kilograms.

The Daihatsu Copen GR Sport has gained a lot in sportiness

GR Sport has therefore focused on making changes in other areas. The first ones are immediately visible: it features more aggressive bumpers, new LED lights, specific wheels signed by BBS, and a new rear diffuser with a double exhaust outlet. In addition, the Dahiatsu Copen GR Sport offers multiple personalisation options for its retractable hard top.

Inside, the cabin has also become sportier, so we can find elements as racing such as Recaro bucket seats, a Momo steering wheel and aluminium pedals.

However, it is in the parts you cannot see that GR Sport has made the most changes to the Dahiatsu Copen. The engineers at Toyota have fine-tuned the chassis and fitted new sport suspension, reinforcements in the lower section to improve the rigidity of the whole structure, and a new LSD differential for the front axle when specified with the five-speed manual gearbox.

Therefore, the new Dahiatsu Copen GR Sport becomes an even more appealing toy with which to have fun at very low running costs. However, we are sorry to tease you, as this model will only be sold in Japan.

Moreover, it is no surprise that you are not familiar with this small sports car, as Dahiatsu has practically no presence in our country; in fact, there is only one dealer in the Canary Islands.