Separated at birth: five brothers from other mothers

Who copied who?

Long before China got in on the act, the Japanese were the biggest offenders when it came to 'borrowing' design inspiration from other brands.

FC Mazda RX-7 and Porsche 924

Without the Mazda badges can you tell the difference between the FC RX-7 and the 924?

At first glance, it's almost like looking in a mirror.

When the FC RX-7 was released in 1985, Mazda was quite honest with its inspiration coming from the Porsche 924.

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W20 Toyota MR2 and Ferrari 348

Apparently sports cars in the '80s or '90s where either red or yellow.

I stand by my point.

Nicknamed the poor man’s Ferrari, the W20 Toyota MR2 shared more than a few similarities with Ferrari’s 348.

A70 Toyota Supra and BMW 850Ci

Pop-up headlights were all the rage in the '80s.

Did the Germans copy the Japanese?

Both coupes have pop-up headlights, a long bonnet and stubby rear end but, in a role reversal the A70 Supra arrived on the market four years before the BMW’s 8-series.

AE86 Toyota and S12 Nissan Silvia (Gazelle)

The car of choice for tofu deliveries.

You could be forgiven for thinking this is the car from Initial D.

Only separated by a few months, the Toyota AE86 and Nissan Silvia S12 (Gazelle here) look almost identical, particularly with the Corolla in Trueno guise. This likeness was carried across both hatchback and coupe bodies.

TA28 Toyota Celica and '67 Ford Mustang

Gotta love that coke-bottle styling.

Both the Mustang and Celica have C-pillar louvres. (image credit: Classic Cars)

Aimed at the US market, the first Celica fastback was effectively a scaled-down Mustang. The Celica was quickly nicknamed the Japanese Mustang and these days are worth almost Mustang money.

What other cars do you think were separated at birth? Let us know in the comments.