Four designs, three specification groups—and a closer look at our red manual GR Sport, available in the UK
Last week, I introduced our red Copen Cero—a car I am tempted to keep for myself.
This time, let us look at another red Copen we have for sale.
Our Toyota Copen GR Sport.
It belongs to the same LA400 family - a new Copen, but its appearance is quite different from the round-faced Cero. Perhaps the sharper front end and GR badge have already caught your attention.
However, its appeal goes beyond its appearance.
What I particularly enjoy is the supple suspension movement and the quality of its handling.
Let us put the different LA400 versions into context, then take a closer look at this particular car.
1. Which Copen Has Caught Your Eye?
When you begin searching for a new Copen, you encounter the names Robe, Cero, XPLAY and GR Sport.
Then you find Robe S, Cero S and XPLAY S as well.
Do the names describe different bodywork, different equipment or different driving characteristics?
It helps to separate two decisions.
The first is the design.
There are four main faces: the sharp-looking Robe, the round-headlamp Cero, the distinctive two-tone XPLAY and the GR Sport with its own front and rear styling.
The second is the specification.
For this purpose, we can think in three groups: standard, S and GR Sport.
The Robe, Cero and XPLAY are available in standard and S versions. The GR Sport combines its own appearance with dedicated chassis and steering tuning. You cannot choose all three specification groups with each of the four faces.
Choosing the appearance you like and choosing the equipment and driving character you want are therefore related, but separate, decisions.
If you would like a fuller introduction, explore our LA400 Copen Buyer’s Guide.
Four faces within the LA400 family. Body design and specification both contribute to each car’s character.
2. The GR Sport Is a Realistic Choice in Japan
In an earlier article, we explored the Japanese LA400 Copen market together.
Our Goo-net survey on 30 August 2026 found approximately 1,100 advertised cars, including around 300 GR Sports.
Those are historical figures, rather than today’s listing count, but they give the GR Sport some useful context.
Despite its GR badge, it is not an elusive limited edition that almost never appears for sale.
You can search for one by colour, gearbox, mileage, registration year, equipment and budget.
Naturally, the more precisely you define the combination, the smaller the shortlist becomes.
“Any GR Sport” is a different search from “a red manual with TRD aero”.
We discussed that process in our journey through Japan’s LA400 Copen market.
And one red manual GR Sport is already here in Britain.
3. Meet Our Red GR Sport
The car we have available is a 2020 Toyota Copen GR Sport in Matador Red Pearl.
It has a five-speed manual gearbox and has covered 36,000 km.
This is the Toyota-sold LA400A, sharing its mechanical foundation with the Daihatsu-sold Copen GR Sport.
It is UK registered, has an MOT until March 2027 and is advertised at £21,990.
You are not waiting for an auction purchase, a shipping space or UK registration. This car has completed its preparation and is available to view here in Britain.
Its sales page documents the journey through inspection and preventative servicing in Japan, the UK IVA process, registration and our subsequent preparation.
Rather than repeat that entire record here, I would like to explain what might make this GR Sport the right kind of Copen for you.
Our UK-stock 2020 Toyota Copen GR Sport: Matador Red Pearl, five-speed manual and 36,000 km.
4. RECARO and MOMO Are Only Part of the Story
If you have been researching the S versions, you may already recognise their combination of RECARO seats, a MOMO steering wheel and Bilstein suspension.
The GR Sport also has RECARO seats and a MOMO wheel.
Here, however, the seats receive a GR-exclusive finish and embroidered logos. The steering wheel carries its own GR detailing, accompanied by dedicated instruments and piano-black interior trim.
This manual car also has a front Super LSD, while the BBS forged wheels have the GR Sport’s dedicated matt-grey finish.
Open the door and sit down, and the GR identity continues into the cabin.
Of course, if RECARO seats and a MOMO wheel are your main priorities, an S model may also belong on your shortlist.
To understand the GR Sport’s appeal, look further: at how its suspension, body reinforcement and steering work together.
GR-specific seat finishes, MOMO steering wheel and instruments give the cabin its own identity.
5. GR Does Not Simply Mean Stiffer Suspension
The GR Sport uses dedicated suspension tuning with KYB shock absorbers.
That is a different arrangement from the Bilstein-equipped S models.
There is also an additional front brace, a revised centre brace, underbody aerodynamic components and dedicated electric power-steering tuning.
Toyota’s development explanation describes a coordinated approach.
The body’s rigidity balance was addressed first. Spring rates and dedicated dampers were then matched to that structure, aiming for supple movement and a planted, flat ride.
The steering calibration was developed to make the driver’s inputs and the car’s response feel more closely connected.
The word “sport” can suggest a hard ride that passes every bump straight into the cabin.
What interests me here is how Toyota brought the different elements together into one car.
The individual components matter, but so does the relationship between them.
Dedicated suspension, body reinforcement and underbody airflow management form part of the GR Sport package.
6. What I Enjoy Is the Suppleness and Handling Quality
From behind the wheel, this GR Sport feels particularly well resolved to me.
The suspension moves supplely, and there is a pleasing quality to the way the car responds to the steering.
For me, it is among the most refined-feeling driving experiences in the LA400 range.
That is my impression. Reading Toyota’s explanation helps make sense of it: the body, suspension and steering were developed together, with more in mind than simply making the car feel firmer.
Its purposeful appearance need not make it a car only for circuit drivers.
Perhaps you want a small sports car that feels satisfying on ordinary roads. Something you can take out with the roof down, enjoying the driving itself as much as the destination.
The GR Sport deserves consideration for that use too.
It is enjoyable to compare RECARO seats, BBS wheels and GR badges. Ultimately, though, think about the kind of driving character you would like to live with.
7. This One Has the TRD Aero—and the Tyres
Beyond the factory GR Sport specification, this particular car carries a full set of TRD aero accessories.
There is a front lip, front corner spoilers, side skirts, rear-side spoilers and a boot spoiler.
These are additional accessories fitted around the GR Sport’s standard dedicated bodywork.
Against the Matador Red Pearl paint, the black elements give the car considerable presence from the side and rear as well as the front.
If this is the specification you want, there is an appeal in finding the complete combination already fitted.
And take a look at the tyres.
This car wears Yokohama ADVAN A50 tyres, developed specifically for the Copen, in virtually new condition.
They are rather expensive tyres to replace!
That detail can disappear when you focus only on the advertised vehicle price. But consider what you would spend fitting them after purchase, and it becomes a worthwhile part of the package.
The suspension we have just discussed ultimately connects to the road through the tyres.
Look at the tyre model and remaining tread as part of the car’s specification too.
TRD accessories give this particular GR Sport a more distinctive appearance than the standard factory bodywork alone.
Copen-specific Yokohama ADVAN A50 tyres in virtually new condition—a valuable detail when considering the complete car.
8. If the GR Sport Interests You, Come and See It
Some buyers will always prefer the Cero’s round face. Others will be drawn to the XPLAY’s individuality.
If the GR Sport’s appearance and dedicated chassis tuning appeal to you, this red manual is worth seeing in person.
A photograph and a car standing beside you create different impressions.
Sit in the RECARO seat. Look out from the driving position. Walk around the red bodywork and TRD accessories. Explore the preparation record, including the work that is less visible.
Then consider whether this is the Copen you would like to own.
Explore the full specification, servicing and preparation record for our GR Sport.
Book a viewing to see the car in person.
If you like the GR Sport but would prefer another colour, gearbox or budget, talk to us about a Bespoke JDM Import.
We can begin by working out which conditions matter most to you.