Would you like to find a Škoda engine in your Audi?
Parts sharing is a lot more common than most of us realise. From manufactures sharing whole engines to small interior buttons, cars often have parts that belong to another brand somewhere on them. For many car owners it’s not a problem at all, but for some of us, it’s mildly annoying and can really take away the allure of your car, especially when the parts are from a less prestigious manufacturer. Here are some great examples that may make you cringe a bit, especially if you own one!
One great example of parts sharing going too far is the collaboration between the Seat Ateca and Škoda’s Karoq. You can count the differences between these two family SUVs on your hands. The profile of the two cars is virtually identical, meaning that the cars share almost all large body parts.
Most cars that share parts usually have small things in common like window buttons or door handles, whereas these two cars have done it the other way around. Wing mirrors, door handles, lights and grilles are all different, but after that, they’re pretty much the same car. So which would you choose?
A more sneaky example of a manufacturer actually trying to hide their shared parts is found on some VW cars. Volkswagen own a lot of other brands if you didn’t know already, including SEAT, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti and even Bentley! Underneath the badge found on the SEAT Leon Cupra engine, a VW badge can be found!
It’s not just the Cupra though, the same situation can be found on the Skoda Octavia Mk II and various other VW group cars such as the VW Golf and the Audi A3. Why even try to hide the VW badge?
This one is a little bit less acceptable. Take a look at the Bugatti Chiron, then take a look at the Vauxhall Insignia. See anything in common?
Considering the Chiron is a €2.5 million supercar and the Insignia is an affordable family car priced at around £20,000, you wouldn’t think that they would share the same wheel design. Technically this isn’t really parts sharing, but more like design sharing. Who copied who and was it intentional or just a coincidence? After all, there are only so many wheel designs you can do…
Another good example of sharing parts can be found in the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, as illustrated by popular car YouTuber Tavarish.
From the Volvo logo under the key fob to a BMW power steering fluid reservoir, the Vantage shares a handful of parts with a few brands, including BMW and Ford, as well as Volvo. But with the key fob being an important part of the car, often reflecting the expense and reputation of the car, you wouldn’t want your Aston key to actually be a Volvo key in disguise.
What are some parts sharing examples that you think deserve more recognition?
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