This boosted stick shift Daihatsu pocket rocket is unfortunately but a concept at the present moment.
While some might say bigger is always better, good things can also come in small packages. Like this Daihatsu Mira e:S Turbo concept for instance, which features all the right bits of kit that will no doubt put a smile on any petrolhead’s face.
Set to be officially shown off at Daihatsu’s stand during the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 taking place in early January, the Mira e:S Turbo concept is to actually be a rather rare breed of tiny cars that promises big fun. This is after all considering that nearly all hot hatches these days are chasing big power and big speed, with their size and heft consequently being on the large size too.
Daihatsu currently touts that this Mira e:S Turbo concept is “an entry-level sports car designed to broaden the horizons of motorsports and make the joy of driving available to everyone”. This prototype pocket rocket incidentally does have a racing twin too, which previously took part in Rally Japan 2024.
The Mira e:S Turbo concept is to be based on the second-gen Daihatsu kei car that has been around since 2017, alongside the Toyota Pixis Epoch and Subaru Pleo Plus triplets. This sportier version however can be visually distinguished from its common counterpart by way of a redesigned front bumper with an offset twin-slit grille and sporty side intakes, a different rear bumper, as well as some decorative side gills.
This Mira e:S Turbo further sports a slew of black accents that include a black roof and wing mirrors, which certainly complements the smoked BBS alloys found on all four corners of this Daihatsu. And as for what turns said wheels meanwhile, this pint sized pocket rocket is to be packing a 660 cc three-pot, that has been souped up by way of a cheeky little turbo.
Now Daihatsu has thus far unfortunately not disclosed how much this boosted mill outputs, but the similarly-sized powertrain in its Copen kei cabriolet is currently good for 65 PS. This may not sound much, but this 30% power bump over the 49 PS from the naturally-aspirated three-pot featured in its standard Mira e:S sibling should be more than enough to see this pocket rocket absolutely fly.
What more is that unlike the standard Mira e:S that comes with a CVT, this turbo-ed concept instead nets a proper petrolhead-spec five-speed manual transmission! And just as the icing on what is to be a rather hoon-able kei car, the subtle GR badging on this concept could suggest for daddy Toyota’s Gazoo Racing department may well have a hand in giving this pocket rocket a few chassis tweaks too.
Further official details on what has exactly been done to this concept will likely be revealed closer to Tokyo Auto Salon 2025, with the biggest question on whether Daihatsu will actually bring this prototype pocket rocket into production still a mystery right now. The Japanese automaker does currently have a lineup of spiced up kei cars, so it is really not all that far-fetched to think that this Mira e:S Turbo could actually appear in its (albeit Japan-only) showrooms one day soon.
Alongside this Mira e:S Turbo concept, Daihatsu will also be showcasing a racing version of its Copen GR Sport roadster at its pavilion during Tokyo Auto Salon 2025. Also making an appearance there will be a Hijet Truck Jumbo Extend concept, with a sliding cargo space that serves a support vehicle for motorsport events, as well as an Atrai Wildranger concept that comes packing a portable power supply and special compartments for “disaster prevention kits”.
