I'm sure many of you already know this, but the resemblance between the two is not coincidental. The volkswagen beetle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche at the request of Hitler. When Porsche went on the design the 911, it was envisaged as a high performance derivative of the beetle. Both the cars originally shared a lot in common including the rear engine layout as well as an air cooled boxer engine.
Almost fifty year later the 911 has, of-course, evolved to the point where it shares very little with its less expensive sibling. I personally think that it's amazing to note that one of the worlds most respected sports cars can trace its origins to a 70 year old car, which was itself a cultural icon. I can't think of any other sports car that can boast that type of pedigree.