After announcing that, during 2026, the production of the Copen would come to an end, Daihatsu has just revealed, in Tokyo, at the Japan Mobility Show, the K-Open prototype, which, even by its name, suggests a successor to the small two-seater convertible sports car. Indeed, Koji Sato, CEO of Toyota (the brand that owns Daihatsu), mentioned that Akio Toyoda, president of the world’s largest automaker, might even participate in the development of the new model (after all, he is also known as “Morizo,” a confessed enthusiast of sports cars and competition, frequently collaborating in the development of the first models created by the group he leads, and in official competitions, both on and off the track, at the controls of the respective racing machines).
At the moment, there is no information regarding the dimensions of the potential successor to the Copen, and it is even unknown if, if it becomes a reality, it will continue to comply with the rules of the Japanese Kei Car category. However, it is known that the K-Open is based on a rear-wheel-drive platform, which has excited the community of enthusiasts: “It’s hard to explain the difficulty of integrating this architecture into such a small car! We had to ‘pack’ the front engine into a low position, ‘fit’ the gearbox and the driveshaft well, and rethink the arrangement of the pedals. This study concentrates a lot of technical knowledge, and it is due to the capabilities of its creators,” stated Koji Sato.
The current generation of the Copen features a three-cylinder turbocharged engine with a capacity of 0.66 liters and 63 hp, which, combined with a weight of only 850 kg, provides a lot of fun for those who drive it. In the K-Open, the transmission is manual, and the parking brake is mechanically activated – and, if confirmed for production, this will not happen before 2027.
