Is This a Porsche Macan or a Zotye SR9?

By Adam Pockross - December 19, 2016

Zotye SR9

Chinese automaker Zotye obviously has a thing for Porsches.

Okay, quick, take a look at the automobile above. Upon immediate, first glance, what kind of car do you see?

Raise your hand if you said “a Porsche Macan”?

Don’t worry, it’s okay if you did. Because even though it’s actually a Zotye SR9, the Chinese clone is meant to look exactly like the Macan. And according to a recent Forbes report, the similarities are very apparent: “The overall design is — as you would expect — very similar, from the bumper to the windshield to fenders to the roof line to the rear hatch. Even the mirrors are the same.” And the interior is eerily similar as well.

The Zotye and the Porsche are so similar, in fact, that their sizes are nearly identical; the Zotye measures 4744/1929/1647, with a wheelbase of 2850; while the Macan clocks in at 4681/1923/1624, with a wheelbase of 2807.

Porsche Macan

While all that may seem somewhat disconcerting, the price is what Porsche fans — and fans of copyright laws everywhere — will find most shocking. You can currently pick up an SR9 in China for as little as $16,115 USD, while the starting price for a Macan in the country is $83,000 USD, or roughly 5 times more expensive.

Obviously the Zotye is no Porsche, and I can’t imagine the people buying them think they are. But they are buying them. While official sales numbers are unavailable, Forbes interviewed a dealer who was selling them at a clip of one per day.

Interestingly, Zotye has had success cloning other Volkswagen Group cars too, including the Audi Q3, Q5, and the Volkswagen Tiguan. But Volkswagen is yet to sue the Chinese car maker. Perhaps they’re waiting to see what happens with Jaguar Land Rover’s Evoque-cloning case against Landwind and their X7.

At this point, the damage appears to be done. But do you really think the SR9 is going to take away any potential Macan sales? I mean, it’s not like they’re even in the same class, even if they do look exactly alike.