You know the Daihatsu Copen, don’t you? How could you not? After all, it’s the legendary two-door kei convertible known for absolutely decimating Japan’s mountain roads, shaming even the most razor-sharp exotics, and being the dream ride of any true JDM fan. Aside from the fact that little of the preceding is strictly true, the Copen is definitely an adorably awesome little roadster that does in fact count as a kei car. But if you have a jones to see this teeny-tiny roadster turned into an R35 GT-R, there’s only one place to go: Liberty Walk.
It was shortly after basking in the glory of the Liberty Walk R34 GT-R that we stumbled upon this rad Copen, which is one of the smallest cars Liberty Walk has ever worked on. It’s certainly the cutest by far. Nearly every panel on the Copen has been reworked (or added to) in order to craft the GT-R lookalike.
The front bumper is a near carbon copy of the 2020 GT-R’s—it even features the signature V-motion grille seen on most of Nissan’s cars today. Riveted fender flares, a vented hood, a GT-R-esque rear bumper, and a quad exhaust setup all perfectly ape the look of Nissan’s super coupe. Finishing off the look is a rear wing nearly as wide as the Copen itself—it’s very, very extra, but that’s the point.
We doubt much has been done to the 63-hp three-cylinder engine, as kei cars are subject to strict rules and taxation regarding emissions and engine displacement. Even so, we think this is the perfect way to stand out in the absolutely bonkers JDM car scene. Not only is it cute and sporty, but it’s also relatively affordable. Most of Liberty Walk’s work is priced well above $10,000, but the Copen-to-GT-R “conversion kit” with everything included—except the car, natch—runs just $3,992 after taxes. Not bad at all for your very own Mini-Zilla.
