Daihatsu
Copen
2002–2012; 2014–present
2 generations, 3 production figures and 22 sourced facts from 20 sources.
Daihatsu Copen
Japan's kei-car rules cap engine displacement at 660cc and hold overall dimensions to roughly 3.4 meters long, 1.48 meters wide, and 2.0 meters tall, with the industry itself long self-limiting kei engines to about 64 PS. Those constraints, the same ones that shape cars like the Suzuki Cappuccino, are the box Daihatsu had to design inside when it decided to build a proper two-seat convertible sports car at kei scale. A concept car previewed the idea at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, and the production result, the L880K Copen, went on sale in Japan on 19 June 2002.
The L880K was the first Japanese minivehicle sold with a factory-fitted, electrically powered retractable hardtop, marketed as the 'Active Top.' Power came from a 659cc turbocharged JB-DET four-cylinder making 64 PS, the kei-class ceiling, driving the front wheels through a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. A review in Independent Online (IOL) describes the body as combining aluminium panels with composite plastic panels to keep weight in the 830-850 kg range depending on trim. The same review says Italian design house Pininfarina co-developed the roof alongside Germany's Webasto through a joint venture called OASys, and that the roof opens or closes in about 20 seconds.
The Copen was well received in Japan, winning a Good Design Award in 2002, the year of its launch. It ran for a decade with various special editions before Daihatsu announced on 2 April 2012 that production would end, closing out with a '10th Anniversary Edition.' Accounts differ on when the last L880K left the line: JDMBUYSELL's buyer's guide puts it in August 2012, Wikipedia in September 2012.
Daihatsu didn't let the nameplate sit long. In June 2014 it revived the Copen as the second-generation LA400K, built on a new 'D-Frame' structure with a genuinely unusual twist: much of the exterior is made from resin panels that a dealer can swap out to change the car's face and character entirely. Daihatsu marketed this as 'Dress-Formation,' and it shipped as three distinct factory looks: the angular Robe from launch, the SUV-styled XPlay (whose name, chosen by public vote at the Tokyo Auto Salon, stands for 'Extra Play') from December 2014, and the round, retro-styled Cero from June 2015, which Daihatsu billed as the first commercial realization of the panel-swap idea. JDMBUYSELL and Carmanji count 13 resin body parts, 11 of them interchangeable; Carscoops counts 12 swappable exterior parts, head and tail lights included. Under the skin, the LA400K traded the L880K's powered Active Top for a simpler manually detachable three-piece roof, and swapped the old four-cylinder for a 658cc turbocharged KF-DET three-cylinder, still making 64 PS at the kei cap.
The line got its sportiest variant yet on 15 October 2019, when Daihatsu launched the Copen GR Sport, developed together with Toyota Gazoo Racing as the first GR-badged model in the Copen range. It kept the 660cc turbo three-cylinder and kei-mandated 64 PS but added a limited-slip differential, Recaro seats, reworked suspension and aerodynamic trim, and a choice of 5-speed manual or CVT.
Production hit a major disruption in late December 2023, when Daihatsu suspended output at every domestic plant, including the Copen's home at Ikeda, after admitting to roughly three decades of falsified safety-certification testing across dozens of models. Copen assembly was confirmed back up and running by an 11 April 2024 company notice, alongside the Daihatsu Taft.
The car's story reached its current chapter on 29 September 2025, when Daihatsu announced that the LA400K Copen would go out of production at the end of August 2026, citing a regulatory issue among its reasons while saying it would continue studying whether a future Copen might still be possible. Combined sales across both generations stood at about 110,000 units as of the end of August 2025, according to Daihatsu's own figures. It is a combined total, not a per-generation breakdown, since the two cars sit on entirely different platforms. Reporting indicates the very last Copen, a yellow-finished Robe, rolled off the Ikeda production line on 26 August 2026, with a farewell event held for Copen owners and fans at the factory. As of this writing, the Copen is not currently in production, though Daihatsu has left the door open to a revival.
Story reading list (24)
- Daihatsu to Hold Special Event to Express its Gratitude to Customers and Commitment to Carry Forward Bonds into the Future (Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., 2025-09)
- Daihatsu to End Copen Production in Aug. 2026 (Nippon.com, 2025-09)
- Production of current model of Daihatsu Copen to end in August 2026 (Automotive World, 2025-09)
- Daihatsu Will Discontinue The Copen In 2026 (CarBuzz, 2025-09)
- Daihatsu To Host A Funeral For Its Copen Roadster Before Killing It (Carscoops, 2025-09)
- Daihatsu Copen (Wikipedia, undated)
- Daihatsu to Launch the GR SPORT, the Fourth Model in its COPEN Range of Mini Convertible Sports Vehicles (Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., 2019-10)
- Toyota Rolls Out New Compact Convertible Sports Car "Copen GR SPORT" in Japan (Toyota Motor Corporation Global Newsroom, 2019-10)
- Toyota Copen GR Sport Is A New Tiny Convertible Sports Car For Japan (Carscoops, 2019-10)
- Daihatsu Launches the COPEN Cero, the 3rd COPEN Design Commercializes DRESS-FORMATION in a World-first Attempt (Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., 2015-06)
- Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. to Offer Wider Selection for DRESS PARTS (Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., 2016-10)
- Daihatsu Copen XPlay – new clothes for kei roadster (paultan.org, 2014-12)
- 2026 Daihatsu Copen L880K Buyer's Guide (JDMBUYSELL, undated)
- 2026 Daihatsu Copen LA400K Buyer's Guide (JDMBUYSELL, undated)
- Small car [DAIHATSU Copen] — Good Design Award winner record (Japan Institute of Design Promotion / Good Design Award, 2002)
- Daihatsu Copen - it's pricey but fun (Independent Online / IOL, 2006-08)
- Daihatsu Copen says farewell, after a decade-long run (paultan.org, 2012-04)
- The Sporty Kei car - The history of the Daihastu Copen (CarThrottle, undated)
- Daihatsu Copen 10th Anniversary Edition / Active Top Specs, Dimensions and Photos (CarFromJapan, undated)
- Daihatsu: Toyota-owned automaker halts Japan production after admitting it tampered with safety tests for 30 years (CNN Business, 2023-12)
- Notice Regarding Resumption of Production of Daihatsu TAFT, Daihatsu/Toyota COPEN (Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., 2024-04)
- What Is A Kei Car? History, Rules, And Buying Guide (HotCars, undated)
- Daihatsu Copen: Complete Guide to Japan's Tiny Convertible Sports Car (Carmanji, undated)
- Daihatsu Lets You Customize The Copen With Interchangeable Body Panels (Carscoops, 2016-09)
Generations
Daihatsu showed a Copen concept at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show and put the production L880K on sale in Japan on 19 June 2002 as a kei-class two-seat roadster with the industry's first factory-fitted power retractable hardtop (the 'Active Top'), built around a 659cc turbocharged JB-DET four-cylinder to sit at the kei class's regulatory caps on engine size and dimensions. The L880K ran through several special editions until Daihatsu announced on 2 April 2012 that production would end, closing out with a '10th Anniversary Edition'; sources differ on whether the last car was built in August or September 2012. Daihatsu revived the nameplate in June 2014 with the second-generation LA400K, built on a new 'D-Frame' platform whose body is made of resin panels that owners can swap at a dealer to change the car's face and character, marketed as 'Dress-Formation' and sold as three factory looks: Robe (launched 2014, angular), XPlay (launched December 2014, SUV-styled cladding), and Cero (launched June 2015, round retro-style lights). A performance-oriented Copen GR Sport, developed with Toyota Gazoo Racing, launched 15 October 2019. Production of all Daihatsu domestic models, including the Copen, was suspended from late December 2023 after Daihatsu admitted to decades of falsified safety-certification testing, and an 11 April 2024 company notice announced that Copen production had resumed. On 29 September 2025 Daihatsu announced the current LA400K would go out of production at the end of August 2026 (citing a regulatory issue among the reasons, while saying it would continue studying a possible future Copen), and the final car (a yellow Copen Robe) is reported to have rolled off the Ikeda line on 26 August 2026, meaning the model is no longer in production as of this writing.
| Generation | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copen (L880K) | 2002-2012 | Daihatsu put the L880K on sale in Japan on 19 June 2002 with a 659cc turbocharged JB-DET four-cylinder making 64 PS and the Active Top, the first factory-fitted power retractable hardtop on a kei car; it won a Good Design Award that year. Curb weights ran roughly 830-850 kg by trim. Production ended in 2012 after a 10th Anniversary Edition, in August according to JDMBUYSELL and in September according to Wikipedia. |
| Copen (LA400K) | 2014-2026 | Daihatsu reports about 110,000 Copens sold across both generations by the end of August 2025. The LA400K launched in June 2014 with a 658cc turbocharged KF-DET three-cylinder making 64 PS, a detachable three-piece roof and swappable resin Dress-Formation body panels in Robe, XPlay and Cero looks, joined by the Toyota Gazoo Racing-developed GR Sport on 15 October 2019. Production stopped from late December 2023 until April 2024 during Daihatsu's certification-test scandal, and the final car, a yellow Copen Robe, is reported to have left the Ikeda line on 26 August 2026. |
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Copen (L880K) (2002-2012). Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons -
Copen (LA400K) (2014-2026). Photo: Retired electrician, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Production and sales figures
Each row counts one thing for one scope. Production, sales, deliveries and registrations are different measures and are not added together.
| What | Figure | Scope | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA400K interchangeable panel count | LA400K body is made of 13 resin components, of which 11 are interchangeable to change the car's design/colour Sources differ | Japan | 9 12 |
| LA400K interchangeable panel count | Dress-Formation involves 12 exterior parts, including head and tail lights, to transform the car between Robe/Cero/XPlay looks Sources differ | Japan | 11 |
| Combined total sales both generations | Daihatsu reported combined Copen sales of about 110,000 units across both generations as of the end of August 2025 | — | 5 19 |
Dates, specifications and other facts
| What | Figure | Scope | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| L880K launch date | L880K Copen went on sale in Japan on 19 June 2002 | Japan | 2 3 4 |
| L880K engine | 659cc JB-DET turbocharged DOHC 16-valve inline-four, producing 64 PS (47 kW) at the kei-class power cap | Japan | 3 4 |
| L880K award | L880K Copen won a Japan Good Design Award in 2002 (award no. 02A08003) | Japan | 2 |
| L880K production end month | L880K production ended in August 2012 Sources differ | Japan | 3 |
| L880K production end month | L880K production ended in September 2012 Sources differ | Japan | 4 |
| L880K curb weight | Curb weight roughly 830-850 kg depending on trim/roof variant (e.g. 830 kg for the 10th Anniversary Edition, 840 kg for the 2007 Active Top) | Japan | 6 8 |
| LA400K launch date | Second-generation LA400K Copen launched in Japan in June 2014 | Japan | 4 9 |
| LA400K engine | 658cc KF-DET turbocharged DOHC 12-valve inline-three, producing 64 PS (47 kW) at the kei-class power cap | Japan | 4 9 |
| Grsport launch date | Copen GR Sport launched nationwide in Japan on 15 October 2019, developed with Toyota Gazoo Racing as the first GR-branded model in the Copen line | Japan | 14 15 16 |
| Grsport specs | GR Sport: 660cc turbo three-cylinder, 64 PS (47 kW) / 92 Nm, front-wheel drive with limited-slip differential, 5-speed manual or CVT, Recaro seats and revised suspension/aero | Japan | 14 16 |
Sourced statements behind the story (9)
- L880K concept debut A Copen concept car was first shown at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, ahead of the 2002 production launch 1
- L880K retractable roof industry first The L880K was the first Japanese minivehicle (kei car) sold with a factory-fitted electrically operated retractable hardtop, called the 'Active Top' 35
- L880K final edition Daihatsu announced on 2 April 2012 that L880K production would end, closing out with a '10th Anniversary Edition' model 37
- LA400K platform LA400K uses a 'D-Frame' structure with a body built from swappable resin panels, marketed as 'Dress-Formation' 91011
- LA400K roof system LA400K replaced the L880K's powered Active Top with a manually detachable three-piece 'Detachable Top' roof, stowed in the trunk 9
- LA400K body variants Three factory Dress-Formation looks: Robe (angular, launched with the LA400K in June 2014), XPlay (SUV-style cladding, launched December 2014, name meaning 'Extra Play' chosen by public vote at the Tokyo Auto Salon), and Cero (round retro-style lights, launched June 2015, marketed by Daihatsu as the first commercial realization of Dress-Formation) 1013
- Production halt 2023–2024 Daihatsu suspended production at all its Japan plants, including the Copen's Ikeda plant, from late December 2023 after admitting to roughly three decades of falsified vehicle safety-certification testing across dozens of models; Copen production was confirmed resumed by an 11 April 2024 company notice 1718
- Current production status Daihatsu announced on 29 September 2025 that current-model (LA400K) Copen production would end at the end of August 2026, citing a regulatory issue among the reasons while saying it would continue studying a possible future Copen; the final car, a yellow Copen Robe, is reported to have rolled off the Ikeda line on 26 August 2026, meaning the Copen is out of production as of this writing 4519
- Kei car regulations context Both Copen generations were built to Japan's kei-car rules: engine displacement capped at 660cc, external dimensions capped at roughly 3.4m long x 1.48m wide x 2.0m tall, and an industry-wide self-imposed power ceiling around 64 PS (47 kW) that both the JB-DET and KF-DET engines sit at 320
Where sources disagree
Credible sources give different figures for these. Each figure is shown with the source that gives it.
L880K production end month
Sources
- The Sporty Kei car - The history of the Daihastu Copen
- Small car [DAIHATSU Copen] — Good Design Award winner record
- 2026 Daihatsu Copen L880K Buyer's Guide
- Daihatsu Copen
- Daihatsu to End Copen Production in Aug. 2026
- Daihatsu Copen - it's pricey but fun
- Daihatsu Copen says farewell, after a decade-long run
- Daihatsu Copen 10th Anniversary Edition / Active Top Specs, Dimensions and Photos
- 2026 Daihatsu Copen LA400K Buyer's Guide
- Daihatsu Launches the COPEN Cero, the 3rd COPEN Design Commercializes DRESS-FORMATION in a World-first Attempt
- Daihatsu Lets You Customize The Copen With Interchangeable Body Panels
- Daihatsu Copen: Complete Guide to Japan's Tiny Convertible Sports Car
- Daihatsu Copen XPlay – new clothes for kei roadster
- Daihatsu to Launch the GR SPORT, the Fourth Model in its COPEN Range of Mini Convertible Sports Vehicles
- Toyota Rolls Out New Compact Convertible Sports Car "Copen GR SPORT" in Japan
- Toyota Copen GR Sport Is A New Tiny Convertible Sports Car For Japan
- Daihatsu: Toyota-owned automaker halts Japan production after admitting it tampered with safety tests for 30 years
- Notice Regarding Resumption of Production of Daihatsu TAFT, Daihatsu/Toyota COPEN
- Daihatsu to Hold Special Event to Express its Gratitude to Customers and Commitment to Carry Forward Bonds into the Future
- What Is A Kei Car? History, Rules, And Buying Guide