KEI-CAR CHAOS

To most here in New Zealand, the name Copen won’t mean much, if anything at all — and perhaps for those who know, it won’t conjure thoughts of Time Attack and circuit racing. The name Mo-Fac will most likely leave you confused and perhaps wondering if I’ve just sworn at you. But in Japan, not only are these names well known among racers but also they hold a certain respect around racetracks that would leave most mere mortals dumbfounded.

Morimoto-San, the founder of Mo-Fac — an abbreviation of Morimoto Factory — a specialty [Daihatsu] Copen shop based in Hyogo prefecture in Japan, has built a name for his company and his cars in a very short 10 years of operating that is rather remarkable. In fact, what Mo-Fac has achieved with the humble Copen most would only