Land Rover was given a bit of a shock this week when an American window tinting company posted undisguised pictures of the latest Range Rover Sport ahead of the car's official release this month.
The company involved had just finished tinting the pre-production model's windows in preparation for a TV advertisement that is to be launched in a few weeks. The pictures taken included shots of the front, side and rear of the vehicle, as well as one featuring a member of the company's staff.
Prior to these leaked photos, Land Rover had only launched teaser shots of the car, meaning that any tension or build up Land Rover was trying to create has now taken a hit.
Since the pictures are here however, we can at least report that the new model certainly looks the part. The classic Range Rover Sport shape has been carried forward from the previous generation with various elements from both the Evoque and the full-size Range Rover evident in its design. Incorporated into the front and rear bumpers are aluminium-look skid plates with more metallic detailing found in the grille, fog lamps and side vents. The pillars and roof have been painted black, which at least helps those rather illegal-looking tints blend in with the rest of the car.
We'll have to wait until Land Rover officially unveils the new model before we get any details regarding interior trim or engine specs. All we know now is that we would not like to be the ones in receipt of the inevitable phone call from Jaguar Land Rover's lawyers...