Copen Upgrade — Securing a Spare Tire!

 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 passenger! (lol)

Just quickly changing to a spare and getting back on the road — priceless.

(Of course, there was also that one time when the spare was flat, and my blood ran cold... but that’s another story!)

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Long story short:

I wanted a real spare tire for my Copen too.

Checking the owner's manual, I found that a spare was listed as a "dealer option."
I asked the dealership where I bought my car (a direct Daihatsu used-car shop),
but they had no experience selling it and had to check with HQ.

The result?

A brand-new official spare would cost ¥32,000 plus installation and tax —
too expensive!
I gave up on buying it through official channels.

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Instead, I searched Yahoo Auctions and found:

"New unused spare tire for Daihatsu Move L910 model"
for just ¥3,400 including shipping!

A tire removed from a salvaged car.
Size: T105/70D14.

Since it was also a Daihatsu model,
I had a good feeling about it...

But just to be sure,
I called Daihatsu’s customer service center directly.

A very kind lady confirmed:

"The Copen’s spare tire size is T105/70D14."

Exactly the same!

I then asked if the spare wheel for the Move L910 was identical to the Copen’s.

She called back about an hour later to say:

"Yes, they are identical."

Perfect!

I immediately bought it.

When it arrived, it was truly brand new.
At that price, it felt like an amazing deal!

I test-mounted it on the Copen — no problem at all.

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Placement problem:
Where to store the spare?

It fits in the trunk, but that would block the roof from folding down —
which defeats half the joy of owning a Copen.

Official spare tires are mounted behind the passenger seat,
so I decided to copy that.

When I placed it behind the seat — it fit perfectly.

Some say you have to slide the seat all the way forward,
but in my case, it only needed to be moved halfway.

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Official installations use a fixed bracket,
which probably requires sliding the seat more.

But my DIY style — just placing it there —
was surprisingly secure.

No rattling or movement during normal driving.

(Of course, if you roll the car over, that’s another story.)

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Only one issue:
There’s now a naked spare tire