In a strange marketing twist, Opel has released its own spy shots of its new Insignia. Identical to the car photographed last spring and shown in Motors in May 23rd last year, the new model will replace the current Vectra range.
The reason being cited for the publication of the shots is to outwit the spy photographers as the car undergoes final testing on regular roads.
However, with spy shots of the car available since last summer, it would seem more likely that this is part of Opel's early marketing campaign ahead of the car's official unveiling at the British Motor Show in July.
Along with the image release, Opel also outlined the process of cat and mouse it plays with spy photographers.
Explaining why it trys to avoid early photos of cars under development, the statement said: "In short, the automobile industry lives and breathes new cars, and this is of great interest to two particular groups: competitors and the media.
"Competitors want to react to new products as quickly as possible with their own innovations.
"One of the most important characteristics of a new car is its exterior design. That's why shielding new body stylings from prying eyes has become an art form within the car industry over past decades."