Does This Patent Filing Leakage Show the Production 2014 Acura RLX?

Patent filings are sometimes the bane of secretive automaker’s existence. They try to sneak up and surprise the buyer by holding their cards close to their chest and not letting any information out about a new car. Well, the problem is that they need to patent these ideas to prevent other manufacturers from catching wind of their designs and stealing them. Then, you have savvy media folk that scour patent filings and dig up dirt on them, a la the Chevy SS, Cadillac ELR, Buick Electra, and so on.

We caught a glimpse of the 2014 Acura RLX concept car and its glorious beak in April and we were somewhat underwhelmed by it. Well, the savvy folk at Car and Driver recently dug up a patent from Europe showing what they are claiming to be the official production model 2014 RLX. Surprisingly, Acura’s production patent, or so it’s claimed to be, looks very much like the concept car. It appears that the only things that are different are the front lip design and the way the exhaust integrates into the bumper, which was far and away the coolest feature on the Concept RLX.

Unfortunately, the production RLX looks like it will retain the goofy looking “Jewel Eye” headlights, which are the two stacks of five LED lights making up the front headlights. On first glance, the “Jewel Eye” headlights did look a little neat, but it was definitely more of a novelty deal, as they now just look odd.

For those in favor of the ginormic Acura schnoz, don’t fear, as it appears to be in the same massive form as it was in at the NY International Auto Show.

Again, the true question is whether these actually are production images or just Acura patenting the basic RLX concept. Only time will tell, as we expect to see the real deal 2014 RLX in L.A. in November.