It is with deep regret that the wife and I said good-bye to our lovely Copen 1.3 in silver after 3 fun-filled years. I stumbled upon 'Noddy' on Ebay 3 years ago when searching for a fun car on a low budget, and immediately fell in love with the cheeky looks and the go-kart handling. However, it has been increasingly difficult trying to find parts to keep the car in a reasonable state of health, and this was the only reason that we said to say good-bye to an old friend. I was quoted over £800 for an exhaust system from Japan, and had to do a patch-up job to pass the last MOT. I doubt if it can last until the next MOT. After all, you can only weld an exhaust together for so long, right? I traded the car in for an MX5 2 litre sport, and while all the reviews says how lovely the new MX5 is to drive due partly to the low weight and small dimension, and how low you sit on the ground, the Copen always felt like the better car if the idea is to have fun. As for small dimension or sitting low, the MX5 positively feels like a SUV when compared with the Copen. I only hope that Daihatsu would see sense and return to these shores, together with a newer version of the Copen. That would be my next fun car if it ever happens. On my list of fun cars that I've owned, the Copen came 3rd out of 4, but considering the competition, I'd say that's a top compliment. 1/ 1999 S 2000 2/ 2003 MR 2 3/ Copen 1.3 4/ 2006 SLK 3.5. (a truly horrible drivers' car, but good for motorways and posing value)
