PERHAPS the kindest thing you could say about the Daihatsu Copen is that it's 'distinctive'.
Put simply, you either love or loathe what is officially Britain's smallest two-seater sports car.
Now I have to tread very carefully here, as a colleague actually went out recently and bought one.
And, yes, it is safe to assume that he is part of the care-in-the-community scheme, so enough said.
But at least he didn't have to pay a lot of money for his Copen, for Daihatsu recently knocked £2,500 off the price.
So, at the end of the day, you are technically getting a sports car for a fiver less than £11,500.
It has to be said that the Copen is an eyecatcher and turns a lot of heads with its cheeky looks - and Daihatsu cars have an unrivalled reputation for reliability.
In addition, it also comes with a very clever and complicated metal folding roof system.
Simply release two windscreen catches, press a button on the centre console and it all disappears in less than 25 seconds.
With the roof up, the cabin is well insulated and you can have a civilised chat with your passenger.
The steering is precise and nicely balanced, while there is minimal body roll.
But with the roof tucked away in the back the Copen tells a different story.
It is no longer a composed or polished performer and suffers from more shake, rattle and roll than a 1950s music convention.
The Copen is powered by a non-turbo 1.3-litre engine capable of squeezing more than 47 miles out of a gallon. It also provides this dinky Daihatsu with spirited performance.
Being on the light side, the car can reach 60mph from rest in a rapid 9.5 seconds.
However, the Copen runs out of puff when it reaches 112mph, although nobody in their right mind would attempt such lunacy.
There is a decent level of equipment on board, including alloys, air-conditioning and a sound system. You can also add leather upholstery for £500 to give the interior a much classier look.
FAST FACTS
Daihatsu Copen 1.3
Price: £11,495
Mechanical: 86bhp, 1,298cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 9.5 secs
Combined mpg: 47.1
Insurance group: 5
CO2 emissions: 140g/km
BiK rating: 15%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage, 8yrs anti-rust