The Smallest Supra Ever Built!
WHAT IS THIS?
Have you ever jumped out of a Toyota Supra and thought this could do with being half the length and minus 300 horsepower?
Neither had we… until now.
Let’s set the scene
Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 is creeping up faster than a Civic with NOS, and the student builders at NATS are hammering away like they’ve had three espressos and no sleep. Their latest project? A roofless, mini-me GR Supra roadster built from a Daihatsu Copen.
Is this Their First Rodeo?
This is how it all started.
Any idea what it resembles?
You get one guess... YES it’s giving strong R35 GT-R vibes
Engine... 2jz... V8??
Now, before anyone panics... NO, they didn’t squeeze a legendary 2JZ-GTE into this thing. That would be like dropping a V8 into a shopping trolley. Cute in theory, catastrophic in reality. Physics simply laughed and walked away.
Instead, this "Supra" sticks with the Copen’s original setup a tiny turbocharged 658cc three-cylinder engine. Yes, that engine the one that probably has to plan its overtakes in advance. It produces around 63 horsepower, which is roughly the same level of motivation as your grandma’s electric scooter… on eco mode.
So how pain staking is it?
Short answer: an unreasonable amount.
Long answer: imagine voluntarily signing up for weeks of dust in places dust has no legal right to be, hands permanently stuck to filler, and a relationship with sandpaper that becomes far too personal. Every panel is shaped, stepped back from, reshaped, stepped back from again, then quietly hated before being sanded… again.
It’s painstaking, it’s repetitive, and it’s brutally honest the car doesn’t care how tired you are or how confident you feel. If something’s 2mm off, it will let everyone know. Loudly. In photos. On the internet.
Proof Of Patience
Looks At The Cuts And Joins!
FROM FOAM
TO MOULDS
So to summarise… is she finished?
No.
But the reveal is coming very soon make sure you keep up to date with the build right here.
It looks like a Supra, carries itself like a Supra, and then politely asks if it may accelerate. Big attitude, tiny engine, and absolutely zero embarrassment. This build proves you don’t need big power to make a big statement just creativity, commitment, and the confidence to wait a moment at the lights.
Author
JM.