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Happy 50th Birthday Porsche 911! Says Mini

MINI recently took the time to send a "Happy 50th Birthday" wish to the Porsche 911. When we first saw MINI's announcement we were kind-of surprised too and then it hit us. These two car companies are more similar than you think. To start off, both of them kept their same design cues over the years.
Classic Mini vs Porsche 911 38 photos
Photo: MINI
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Even though technologically they are now miles ahead of the first versions, the modern-day 911 and MINI are still shaped in similar ways to the original cars. The British company kept the center speedo and front fascia design as much as possible, whilst Porsche has had the same front and rear general lines ever since it was released.

Furthermore, even the feeling of the cars wasn't changed. The MINI still has that go-kart feel when you're behind the wheel, even though the size changed quite significantly, whilst the 911 is the same high-performance car, as always.

Motorsport occupies a key chapter in the histories of both Porsche and Mini. The 911 in its track-tuned permutations is the most successful racing car ever built. Practically every race of any note has been won by a 911 on one occasion or other. And no memory of the 1960s can be complete without images of the MINI Cooper S roaring into view.

"In September 2013 the flag-bearer of the German sports car fraternity, the Porsche 911, will celebrate its 50th birthday. And among the hoards of well-wishers will be MINI, not least because its model history also includes – in the classic Mini – a similarly compelling work of art characterised by a similar reluctance to abandon the exuberance of youth," said the British company in a press release.

Our say: last time we recall MINI talking to Porsche in an official way, the company challenged the 911 to a race!
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