The Daihatsu Copen is one of my favorite cars that has yet to reach American shores. It’s a tiny, two-seater convertible that’s been on sale since 2002 in places like Japan and Europe, with two distinct generations. The second-gen car, launched in 2014, is set to end production in August of next year.
For a second, it seemed like the Copen would be going away for good, marking the end of the Kei-sized sports car. But it seems like that won’t be the case, with the Toyota sub-brand showing off a new, very Copen-looking concept called the K-OPEN (very clever, Daihatsu) at this year’s Tokyo Mobility Show. And it’s finally addressing the one thing I didn’t like about the car.
You see, the Copen has always used a front-wheel drive layout. Front-wheel drive isn’t bad, per se—I’ve owned and driven dozens of front-drive cars, some of which I absolutely adored. I’m no FWD hater, but I think the layout has a time and a place. Hot hatches, for example, should always be front-wheel drive. Mindless crossovers? Sure, front-wheel drive is most economical, after all. But for a two-seat roadster? A car like that should send its power to the rear wheels.
It looks like Daihatsu has figured this out, which is why this new K-OPEN concept now carries a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, rather than a front-drive setup. The company even brought along a running prototype based on a current-generation Copen that’s been converted to rear-wheel drive:
K-OPEN ランニングプロトだと!! 駆動方式はFR、シャーシー下面からデフケースが見える。プロトタイプだからまだセロの姿をしているんだろうな。 #ジャパンモビリティショー #JMS2025 pic.twitter.com/m3V8Nj14Yd
— 霧島 (@kirishima_ns) October 28, 2025
Daihatsu lays out the switch simply, explaining that the new design “delivers even more enjoyable driving performance.” Here’s what the company says about the prototype:
A pre-production study vehicle built with the spirit of “make it, ride it, test it” to carry the joy of driving the COPEN into the future. We are particular about the size of the kei car and pursue the joy of driving through “lightweight”, “low center of gravity” and “optimal weight distribution.”
The company goes on to say it’s managed to lower the Copen’s center of gravity and achieve an “optimal” weight distribution over the current car. This all makes sense, considering the engine has to be lower to accommodate the rear-drive layout, and there are now half-shafts and a differential out back to distribute the power. The conversion wasn’t easy, according to Toyota president & CEO Koji Sato. Here’s what he said at the press briefing:
What makes the K-OPEN so great?
It’s rear-wheel drive. It might be hard to convey how amazing it is, but achieving rear-wheel drive in a front-engine car with such a compact body is truly incredible.
You need to place the engine low, carefully package the transmission and propeller shaft, and design the pedal layout so that everything fits perfectly into this body.
I would love to take hours explaining why, but to make a long story short, it’s packed full of the wisdom and ingenuity of its developers.
I’ve never driven a Copen, though I’ve heard they’re pretty joyous. I suspect the car will get even better with a rear-drive layout. I’m not worried about Toyota flubbing this up, since none other than Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s chairman, was named Daihatsu’s master test driver. “I think he will be driving and breaking the Copen a lot,” Sato said in the briefing.
This is all bittersweet, of course. While first-gen Copens will be available to import into the U.S. in just a couple of years, I’ll have to wait until at least 2051 to import a rear-drive version (the one I actually want). Or maybe the 25-year rule could die, and I could import a new Copen as soon as next year.
Top graphic image: Sam Abuelsamid
Not feeling it. This still LOOKS like a FWD car, and it’s so small that the space freed up in the interior and trunk by FWD has to pay dividends. Small, light, low-powered cars are the perfect use case for FWD, you aren’t asking the front tires to do too much. The original MINI not be better by being RWD.
You are right. There is almost nothing to gain in making this car RWD. It’s so weak you can’t corner with the throttle, it’s going to compromise packaging, especially that tiny trunk and foot well room and the lower center of gravity will go unappreciated because this car has super skinny tires that will let go before far before that becomes a problem. Plus RWD tends to be more expensive to fabricate so the real complaint of that car, which was a bit too expensive for what it was, is going to get worse.
As the owner of a 100% RWD fleet, I can absolutely see the advantages of FWD and why it exists at all. This car was made for FWD. I drove the original one back then when I was working at a Toyota dealership and at no point I (or anyone else) said “it’s a shame this isn’t RWD”
It’s such a shame that the cost to federalize a vehicle for sale here is so high… there are so many interesting JDM cars made by companies that already sell in the US (or their parent companies do) and if it were cheaper, maybe they’d bring us some of that JDM goodness even if big sales numbers weren’t likely. SOME Americans would buy kei cars and trucks, and Copen, Honda S660s, etc… Of course they wouldn’t sell in big numbers, but if they could be sold here w/significantly less investment (marketing and support mostly) perhaps companies like Toyota and Honda would let us have some of their smaller, more interesting offerings once in a while.
I despise the way it looks, but an S660 is excellent from a driving dynamics standpoint. It’s a disappointment we can’t buy one here, even if I think it’s ugly as sin. It would be on my shortlist if available here, just because of what it is.
There’s a company (not Mitsuoka I don’t think) that does a retro package for the S660 I seem to recall from a Youtube video, or maybe it was just a one-off? I agree that it’s not beautiful, but I don’t mind it visually that much, and would love to try one.
It is definitely an improvement:
https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/news-honda-s660-access-neo-classic-kit/
I wouldn’t be surprised if it has significant drag reduction as well.
Yes, how did I not recall ‘neoclassic?’ 🙂
I like the looks of the new one better—old was a little too Pokemon cutesy for me—but with such low power, I’d rather have FWD for the reduced power loss and weight and the packaging could allow for more room inside.
Mid engine/RWD would be the same losses as FWD. less trunk room though
Yes, but this is front-engined.
It’s almost miataing the copen. Has more of those classic roadster proportions to accommodate the layout. To me it kind of is loosing some of its identity. But maybe that’s because I’ve driven them.
What’s the extremely cool looking pickup/dune buggy thing in the picture with the Tachikoma baby chair and the world’s largest motorcycle helmet?
The pickup looking thing looks like a mule for the new midget or maybe the new midget without it’s body panels. The helmet thing appears to be some kind of robot with a face.
Were this available in the USA, it would be at the top of my shortlist.
I could make an aero hard top for any convertible model, as well as rear wheel skirts and other aero bits, and tune the engine to my liking. Tuning the engine to 130-150 horsepower via turbo with a manual transmission in a RWD Copen with custom aero bits added to cut the CdA down to that of a Honda Insight(or less), would be amazing. You’d be able to battle cars on the track that are 5-10x as expensive, while having a vehicle that can save money over even most economy sedans while it’s being daily’d. It might even be possible to perform a Hayabusa swap on it at a later date and make even more power.
Seriously, this car would be so awesome as a shooting brake with a sub-0.30 drag coefficient.
I was today years old when i realized KOPEN is short for Kei Open…..
I loved the early Copens as a concept but it was a bit too round for me. This new one though. Oof. One of the most appealing car designs to me in years.
I don’t know about that little accent piece on the front fender though. Is that a grille? It looks to be a carbon fiber texture in which case it’s likely not functional. I’d go about replacing it with a body matched or white trim piece with a little number like a racecar. And then change the wheels and paint it in a color. Toothpaste green like JT’s Pao might look nice.
And what’s the deal with the red car? At first I thought it was a coupe version but the body lines are completely different.
If the 3rd-gen Copen is going to be a proper kei car, does that mean the plan for a larger roadster based on the 2023 Vision Copen is being scrapped? Maybe the bigger car will become a production Toyota SF-R?
That’s the dream
If the R5 Turbo and Clio V6 could read English they’d be very upset right now.
Those are less hot hatches and more mid-engined sportscars wearing funny hats.
There were a few hatchbacks that were hot that were RWD – the Vauxhall Chevette HS and the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus are examples.
Incidentally, has any production car ever carried more manufacturer names at once than the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus?
Don’t forget the granddaddy of hot hatches, the 72 Gremlin X with a 304 V8?
While that is true, they weren’t really all that good comparatively. And you forgot the modern macdaddy of RWD hottest hatches – the BMW M135i/M140i. And fun though they are, they are worse than a GTI or Golf R in too many ways. The packaging of a big longitudinally mounted RWD powertrain in a small car just sucks.
This. When the hatch is full of engine, it’s simply not a hot hatch anymore.
Clio V6 was a maniac. It’s less hot hatch, more spicy killer jalapeno hatch.
thankfully, they can’t
If the R5 Turbo and Clio V6 weren’t backwards through a hedge they’d be very upset right now.
Fixed that for you.
Whoa, RWD sounds great and all, but they also cracked the styling! Used to be a bit too lumpy for me, now has a perfect face. Would buy on looks alone.
I was Copen Hatin’ on the old FWD layout. But this new design, I’m like “K, I’m OPEN to this”
It’s too bad Daihatsu is introducing what should be a happy little roadster in a drab, depressing color with angry eyes and leftover Cybertruck wheel covers.
I’m not thrilled with the color but the headlights, surprisingly, don’t turn me away. It kinda reminds me of a rain frog.
The color does nothing for me. But I like the overall styling, far nicer than the 2nd generation. The wheel covers are really ugly, though.
The styling is definitely an improvement. The existing Copen has too much herpaderp going on.