Page 1 of Car Question - Spot the Make

Ive seen several little 2 seater sports cars flying around town. They look like a street ka (modern styling) but are smaller. They are actually quite diddy. They are 2 seaters (natch) with the exhausts in the center of the rear bumper. The badge looks a bit like a daewoo but i can never get close enough to one to read it properly. And the ones ive seen are in a slightly darker british racing green.

They look pretty cool and judging by the size of them they wouldnt cost too much.
Does anyone know what this car is, how much it would cost and if they are any good? And, the $64,000 question, would a 6`3" bloke actually be able to drive one without getting a thrombo?

I know its not much to go on, but im confident in someones mad car identifying skillz.

Cheers.

The car you are looking for is a Daihatsu Copen. You should find it on there website.

Cheers for that. They seem to be surprisingly pricey for a small low powered effort.

Actually, since im here, i am getting sick of my old R5. It doesnt seem like it will ever die, so im either going to get a bedford style van and pimp it out or a reasonably priced 2 seater. Has anyone got any recommendations? Ive seen a few MGF`s hovering around the 3.5 grand mark with about 50,000 miles on the clock. I was also offered a 95 plate Suzuki Cappucino for 2 grand a few weeks ago.

Cheers

Quote:
Ive seen a few MGF`s hovering around the 3.5 grand mark with about 50,000 miles on the clock. I was also offered a 95 plate Suzuki Cappucino for 2 grand a few weeks ago.

An older Mazda MX5 is the best bet.
Very reliable.

MGF`s are hardly know for their reliability. :/

Cappucino`s are good fun but aren`t officially imported in the UK,I don`t think.
The one I was given for a weekend still had the Jap restrictors on it.
It would only do something like 80mph,flat out.
I also felt a wee bit silly in it.
It`s too small.

Quote:
An older Mazda MX5 is the best bet.
Very reliable.

MGF`s are hardly know for their reliability.

Cappucino`s are good fun but aren`t officially imported in the UK,I don`t think.

I would second all of that.

MGFs have a known issue with the head gaskets expensively going pop without any warning.

I drove an MX5 (admittedly a Mk2, but they`re not all that much different to the original Mk1s under the bonnet, as I understand it) for 3 years and around 25,000 miles without any mechanical problems.

The Copen is (IMHO) a bit girly and a 6` plus bloke is going to look a bit daft in it.....

Quote:
The Copen is (IMHO) a bit girly and a 6` plus bloke is going to look a bit daft in it.....
yeah...plus it`s as ugly a fk!!

Ste.

........is that gasoline i smell?

I was thinking about an MX5, but the GF`s dad has got one. Its quite funny actually, he`s an engineer and has fitted himself a towbar on the back and every where he goes he gets MX5 owners asking where he got it, because mazda dont do them. Could start himself a nice little business.

Anyway, thanks for the opinions. i was swayed towards the MGF because they look pretty cool. But, thinking about what youve said, the few people i know with them have had problems. And, tbh, the GF`s dad says his Mazda is pretty much bullet proof. I am swayed.

And yeah, the Copen does look a little small. I got a mini when i was 17/18 and sold it within 6 months because I could hardly fit in the bastard!

Cheers guys!

This item was edited on Tuesday, 3rd May 2005, 13:26

Smart also do a similar car called the Roadster (go to the Smart website and click on Roadster). It`s a similar engine size to the Copens` 650cc, but slightly more powerful being a 3 cylinder 700cc turbo...wow :D, and 80bhp against 64bhp for the Copen, so should be pretty nippy due to the weight. Also got sequential semi-auto gearbox for that race driver experience too...lol :)

One of my GF`s work colleagues got a Smart roadster. It went back to the dealers about once every 2 weeks after he bought it until they took it back as a lemon and he got his money back. Needless to say he took his business elsewhere.

Problems included the electrics randomly shutting off, the car intially came with only a KPH speedo, after that was fixed it came back with scratches on the paint work...... I cant remember all the things that happened to it, but it was pretty funny at the time. He said he bought it because he wanted to be different. I said he suceeded because he was the only sucker at his work with a new car that cycled to work.

So, obviously, im a little wary of them ;)

This item was edited on Tuesday, 3rd May 2005, 15:38

It`s understandable you`d be wary, but you can get a duff one in any make really. My brothers mate is going through a nightmare with Ford over a new Mondeo with loads of engine trouble, been rebuilt (partly) twice, and still not right.

If the car had a KM only speedo it sounds like wherever he bought it from is importing them from somewhere, and it wasn`t a genuine UK spec car, which would make it liable for an SVA test. Cars destined for the UK have to have a speedo that reads in MPH or both, as a legal requirement. I think I`d have more trust in the name Daimler / Chrysler (Smarts owners), than in Daihatsu to be honest.

This item was edited on Tuesday, 3rd May 2005, 16:02