Chances are you’ve heard the comparisons between the 2006 Chevrolet HHR and the Chrysler PT Cruiser, possibly to the point of making you sick. GM suggests that the HHR is an all-new design, separate from the PT, despite being designed by the same guy.

Uh-huh. Bryan Nesbitt penned the PT before defecting to GM from Chrysler. The result is a front-wheel-drive, four-door wagon with retro styling including massive grilles and distinct fenders that mimic those of the 1940s, and running boards that just so happen to resemble the sculpted rocker panels of the PT Cruiser. That the HHR is a blatant copy of the PT should be obvious, though there are a few notable differences that give the Chevy an added dose of testosterone. The HHR has a blockier look, with a lower rear roof line and squared-off fenders and bumpers. The door frames and pillars offer more steel and less glass, but the rear quarter windows are larger, making the HHR appear longer, which it is by almost eight inches. Vertically-stacked round taillights further differentiate the Chevy, as does the license plate frame built into the tailgate instead of the bumper.