Why are some Daihatsu Copens advertised for nearly ¥3 million in Japan? We explore nine customised, limited-edition and exceptionally preserved examples—and consider whether importing the finished car or building your own in Britain makes more sense.

Five of our LA400 Copens came with five different exhaust systems. We listen to each one and ask when a branded exhaust already fitted in Japan is genuinely worth paying more for.

Repair history, an R auction grade or an unrepaired accident car: which route makes a Copen genuinely affordable? We compare prices in Japan and Britain.

Robe, Cero, XPLAY or GR Sport? We walk through 1,099 Japanese retail listings, one choice at a time, until the Copen you want begins to take shape.

How much can an auction sheet really tell you about a car’s condition? Using our 3.5C-rated Copen Cero, we compare the original damage diagram with the defects later found—and the true cost of recovering them.

How much should you budget to import an LA400 Copen from Japan? Using rounded auction and retail examples, we explain how to read the prices—and what still has to happen before the car is finished.

We compare the hidden areas of the original Daihatsu Copen and New Copen LA400 to see how their construction affects water ingress, rust and corrosion.

Thinking about buying the "New Copen" in the UK? This guide explains the four LA400 Copen models, how to plan your budget, and the difference between buying from UK stock and importing from Japan.

Where It All Began:- People often ask me, "Why is a Japanese person living in the UK restoring and importing Japanese cars?" The answer began long before the TR imports UK existed…

What is the new Copen? Today, I'd like to write about the "new Copen." I chose this topic so you can learn more about the "second-generation Copen," which many of you refer to as the "new Copen."

I'll write about today's near miss. Ultimately, I lost the auction, but a rather interesting vehicle came up at a reasonable price that might be helpful to future customers. The auction sheet for this vehicle listed a rating of 4.5