Toyota Gives Daihatsu Copen The GR Treatment, Makes It Even More Desirable

Toyota Motor Corporation yesterday announced the launch of the new Copen GR Sport in Japan.

In case you’re wondering, the Copen GR Sport is basically Toyota’s sportier version of Daihatsu’s (Toyota’s subsidiary) two-seater convertible sports car which is manufactured by the latter.

What Toyota has done is that it has added some cosmetic and chassis upgrades to the roadster, and made it the entry-level model in Toyota’s GR performance cars lineup.  

Specifically, Toyota has added a front brace and changed the shape of the centre brace of the Copen, optimised the suspension spring rate for increased body rigidity, fitted a dedicated shock absorber, and retuned the electric power steering, all in an effort to improve the handling of the car.

Design wise, key features include a "Functional Matrix" front grille, a redesigned, more aggressive front bumper, and an electrified folding roof  which comes as standard.

Inside, the Copen GR features special Recaro seats, a self-lighting triple meter display, as well as a special piano black-toned decorative center cluster.

Under the hood, the Toyota GR Copen is powered by a turbocharged 660cc 3-cylinder petrol engine that makes 64 PS and 92 Nm of maximum torque, which is paired to either a 5-speed manual or CVT-type gearbox with paddle shifters.

According to Toyota, the aim with the GR Copen was to create “ever-better” cars by removing the barriers between manufacturers, as the car combines the philosophies of GR with the Copen, a fun-to-drive mini-vehicle.

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