You've all seen how car manufacturers do teaser shots before the launch of a new model where they sort of drape some kind of cloth over the entire car leaving just the headlights visible in a cloud of darkness, giving you the sense of irritation and urge to find out more about how the car looks. And when its finally revealed, sometimes it just doesn't look as good as it did in your head. Apart from that, there are always spy photographers who stalk new models as if they were Hollywood paparazzi, and they do a good job at getting the latest pictures to your favourite motoring website/blog. You even see some of those pictures here! But what really is the purpose of all that black tape and weird looking patterns on the car? Well, read on to find out.

As you would already know, car manufacturers keep trying to keep those pesky spy photographers from snapping shots of their latest creations to as to inject some sense of mystery as to what the new car will look like. Well Opel has revealed what they have done to camouflage the Insignia before it was released. It starts once the model is completed on the computer in 3D and the clay models are done. The designers actually create a 'facelift' of the new car to confuse the general public about the upcoming model's design, like adding a fake spoiler or adding a special adhesive foam onto the car's body to change the body contours of the car. Details of the lights for example are covered by black plastic.

Its also quite common for the developers of the cars to affix a fake badge onto the prototype to make everyone think its a new car from another manufacturer. And that black tape is positioned in a random and disorderly manner to create a flickering effect to blur the images on amateur photographers' cameras. And, the drivers themselves are part of the camouflage. They have been specially trained to avoid spy photographers, (or so they say) and one of their golden rules is never to stop in a public place unless its covered. I doubt that last tactic has proven much use since we're always getting images of prototypes at a petrol station..

These are just some of the official images of the Insignia prototype which weren't intended to be spy shots.

Source of images: MotorAuthority.com