Life with Copen from Ikeda,Osaka

 The Copen’s engine revs beautifully, and even in stock form, it offers plenty of enjoyable power. I was really satisfied with it. Compared to my other car — a Toyota Gaia — the difference in throttle response, smoothness, and engine character is like night and day. After driving the Copen, the Gaia feels more like a delivery truck! (lol) But... as humans, we always want more. Honestly, I started to feel that the Copen's engine was being restricted by Japan’s kei-car regulations, and wasn’t showing its full potential. After all, it runs on regular gasoline — whereas my old Skyline Turbo used premium! So I decided to upgrade the Copen by installing a high-octane ECU. There are several sport ECUs available for the Copen, but I chose the one from D-SPORT . Why D-SPORT? Simple: My Copen was purchased at Daihatsu CarNet Itami , a direct Daihatsu subsidiary. D-SPORT products are handled there, and I felt reassured knowing there was official D...

 It might be hard to tell from the photos, but today I removed a part that had been bothering me for a while — the wind deflector . The wind deflector is a clear plastic panel mounted between the left and right roll bars behind the seats. Its purpose is to reduce the wind that sweeps between the seats during open-top driving, thus lessening overall wind turbulence inside the cabin. Sounds useful, right? But honestly, from the moment I bought the Copen, I never really liked it. Here’s why: At night , light reflects off the panel and becomes distracting in the rearview mirror. Behind the seats , there’s a flat surface — kind of like a rear parcel shelf — where you could place small items. But the wind deflector makes it almost unusable. Because of my tall torso , I suspected that removing it wouldn't really worsen the wind swirl for me. So, I decided to take it off. After removal, yes — there was a slight increase in air swirling aro...

 Even though the spare tire was tucked behind the passenger seat, having a bare tire visible inside the cabin still didn’t feel quite right. So once again, I turned to Yahoo Auctions and picked up: a spare tire cover originally designed for the Eunos Roadster (Mazda MX-5 Miata). It’s nothing fancy — just a simple black vinyl cover shaped like a tire. But still, it’s much better than leaving the tire exposed. Thanks to its black color, when the tire stands behind the passenger seat, it blends seamlessly with the Copen's interior. Definitely a good choice. There are mixed opinions about carrying a spare tire in a Copen. The negative points are: Added weight Reduced passenger space Aesthetic compromise 1. About the added weight: The spare tire weighs just under 10 kg. How you feel about that weight really depends on personal perspective. In my case, I had lost about 8 kg over the past year through dieting. So I told myself: "The...

 By default, the Copen doesn't come with a spare tire. Instead, it includes a tire puncture repair kit — a setup commonly found in modern sports cars prioritizing weight savings. But honestly... I don't really trust those kits. (Just my personal opinion, of course!) Tire repair kits have limitations. For example, if the tire bursts, or if the sidewall is slashed by vandalism, or if the hole is simply too large, the kit won't help. Even when it works, it’s a temporary fix. The manual even recommends replacing the tire after using the kit. Plus, after one use, the kit itself must be replaced — and that won't be cheap, I imagine. Since getting my driver’s license at twenty, I've been driving daily for over 20 years. And in that time, I’ve had at least five flat tires that I can remember. Maybe even more! I vividly recall how grateful I was to have a spare tire in those emergencies — especially at night, when in a hurry, or when I had a lady passeng...

 The trunk space of the Copen is described in the catalog as "Large enough to fit one golf bag." But honestly, I have no interest in golf. As a self-proclaimed amateur guitarist, I decided to test the trunk’s practicality — not with a golf bag, but with an electric guitar hard case. Specifically, a PEAVEY WOLFGANG hard case. Placing one case inside... No problem at all! There’s still plenty of room left... so I thought: What about two cases? And guess what — They both fit! Two WOLFGANG guitars, plus a bit of leftover space. To be honest, before buying the Copen, I never expected it would accommodate even one guitar case. From the outside, the Copen looks tiny. And besides, who would think to bring a guitar case to a used car dealership to test the trunk space? (lol) But now, I can say confidently: If two adults and two guitars can travel together, then the Copen is surprisingly practical! True, if you’re using the ...

 Today, I drove my Copen with the roof down for the first time. My wife sat beside me as we took a winding road up to Minoh Falls. At the front of Hankyu Minoh Station, I started the electric roof operation. With a soft whirring sound, the side windows lower, the trunk lid opens, the roof folds in, and the trunk closes — all fully automatic. The manufacturer says it takes about 20 seconds, but it felt even quicker. Honestly, it happens in the blink of an eye! It’s so effortless. And the attention you get when opening the roof is incredible. Everyone nearby stares with a clear "Wow!" face. It’s a little embarrassing! (lol) Driving up the winding road with the top down, you hear the engine and exhaust sounds more clearly, which really pumps you up. When the roof is closed, my hair almost brushes the ceiling, and there’s a slight feeling of being cramped. But when it’s open — total freedom. (Well, obviously!) As you pick up speed, there's a ...