Copycat? The Daihatsu Copen

With parts of its styling - especially the headlights copied from The New Beetle, yet another car manufacturer hitches a ride on the New Beetle funky bandwagon.

Forget all the things you associate with Daihatsu - Japan's celebrated supermini builder is about to turn the tables on us all with this astonishing new cabriolet.

Boasting a metal folding roof and stylish interior, the newcomer was one of the stars of this year's Tokyo Motor Show, and Auto Express exclusively sampled the first example at Daihatsu's secret Japanese test centre.

At only 3.4 metres long, the two-seat roadster looks like a toy. Fit and finish of this pre-production machine are first rate and the metallic paintwork has an almost mirror-like quality.

Compare to the original

The newcomer is aimed directly at the forthcoming SEAT Tango and Ford Street Ka, and is likely to go on sale for less than £14,000 when it is launched late next year. Start the turbocharged 660cc engine, and the car settles to a tinny idle. With only 66bhp, it initially seems that performance will not be one of its major strengths.

Wrong. Slot the car in gear and the mild-looking Copen seems to grow horns, rocketing forward with an intensity which suggests its engine has at least twice the power claimed.

This is Daihatsu's most daring car yet, and a machine that looks set to raise the company's profile significantly. Being genuinely exciting to drive, impressively built and keenly priced, it boasts the three ingredients that are so essential to winning over fashion-conscious young drivers. The Copen's roof-folding mechanism is one of the cleverest we have yet seen in a car of this size, while the engine is among the most potent.