Coperche 811 GT-K: A Baby 991 RSR?

Kei Car Vs. Porsche 911 RSR: A Tale of Two Extremes

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A post shared by 高松憲次 (@stancemagic_wheel)

Frankly, given how wild the underground culture is in the land of the rising sun, something like this could only have come out of Japan. Let me break down this bizarre creation. On the one side, you have a Gen-1 Daihatsu Copen: Which stock, packs a 660cc turbocharged engine pushing out a whopping 64 horsepower and 92 pound-feet of torque. It weighs just over 1,800 pounds, has a top speed of around 87 mph, and is front-wheel drive.

At the other end, you have the 991 Porsche RSR GT, a track-focused monster we first saw in 2013 with a 4.0-liter flat-six engine pumping out 520 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, and a top speed in excess of 187mph. The RSR (Rennsport RennWagen) is a no-compromise endurance race car that has dominated at Le Mans and traces its lineage to the iconic 2.7 RSR from the 1970s, while the Copen is a no-compromise city car.

To truly appreciate the absurdity of the Coperche 811 GT-K

Now, StanceMagic’s Coperche 811 GT-K is a visual homage to the 911 RSR, but let’s be clear: it’s no performance upgrade. It’s clearly a styling exercise and a bold one at that. Beyond the custom beefed-up fiberglass body kit and that side air intake (pointless considering the Copen is front-engined), the front (sans the yellow tint of the RSR with Porsche’s four-point setup) and rear lights draw heavily from the 997 and 996 respectively, and the roofline has been tweaked to mimic the German race car’s iconic lines.

But the pièce de résistance is that massive fixed rear wing, inspired by the 991 RSR’s aggressive aerodynamic package and the easiest giveaway for any Porsche fanboy about where StanceMagic drew their inspiration from, has got to be that racing - red, black, and white livery (unveiled in 2016). Highlights inside include some sporty red racing bucket seats and a roll cage.

All said and done, under the skin, it’s still a Copen. Having said that, they wouldn’t have gone to all this length to make this car look this different without beefing up the performance now would they and you’re right. Here’s a list of the technical mods:

• More potent 1.3-liter engine
• 5-speed manual transmission
• Modified Chassis that sits lower to the ground
• Upgraded brakes and calipers

To sum it up, the Coperche 811 GT-K is a fascinating mish-mash of automotive culture and Porsche racing glory. It is not meant to be taken seriously, and that’s precisely what makes it so compelling. It’s a reminder that cars don’t always have to make sense sometimes, they can just be fun. Would I drive one? Absolutely!! I’d be happy to blast down Shibuya, Tokyo Drfit style or hit one of those multi-level freeways through the center of Tokyo. Would I take it to a track? Maybe not. But as a piece of rolling art, it’s hard to deny its appeal.

StanceMagic has taken two cars at two opposite ends of the automotive spectrum and created something that’s equally absurd and brilliant at the same time. In a world where cars are increasingly homogenized, I think that’s something worth celebrating.