It's not every day that you see one automaker doff its cap to another. Especially ones as competitive as BMW and Porsche. But then it's not every day that a model line turns 50. But in case you didn't notice, that's exactly what the Porsche 911 is celebrating this year. So in a tribute to its rival's most iconic model, BMW has put together this photo shoot with original versions of the 911 and Mini, both in electric yellow. Why a 911 and a Mini, you ask? The differences may seem glaring, but there are more similarities that bind them.

Sure, they might have opposite layouts, and while one's a sportscar, the other's a tiny hatchback, but look beyond those factors and you'll see two cars both produced by German automakers that are both children of the Sixties but still alive and kicking (albeit in highly evolved forms) today. Both have remained true to their original form, but have broken with tradition in significant fashion along the way: the 911 by going water-cooled, the Mini by going upscale. Both have also grown larger over the years (mostly due to safety regulations) but are still more compact than most of their respective rivals, and both have led to much bigger crossovers as well. We could go on, but we'll just let you enjoy the photos ahead.