Faraday Future Concept Car Leaks Ahead Of CES 2016 Launch, And It Looks Like The Batmobile

LAS VEGAS — One of the most anticipated announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show which kicks off here this week is the unveiling of an autonomous and electric car by the secretive startup Faraday Future. Hours before the unveiling was set to take place, the futuristic design has been leaked — showing a car that has more in common with the Batmobile than anything on the road.

Leaked through an iOS app which was erroneously published ahead of the launch, the design has been independently confirmed by sources speaking to International Business Times UK who say the new car will be able to drive itself and have 1,000 horsepower. However the concept car which will be officially unveiled later on Monday won't go on sale to the public and is not representative of the cars the company plans to mass produce for consumers, but they will "share its core design DNA."

According to the description in the leaked app, still available from AppShopper, the concept vehicle "offers unprecedented performance through conscientiously crafted, state-of-the-art transportation technologies. This vision for this car was realized in record time through the pioneering collaboration of passion-fueled automotive experts and imaginative tech innovators."

The leaked app was downloaded by Twitter user @supererogatory who has posted the following video of the app online:

The futuristic design is unlike anything on the market at the moment in the electric and autonomous markets, looking world's away from Google's cute driverless car and more cutting edge than Tesla's market-leading electric vehicles. A description of the interior of the car in the app says: "Elegant, intuitive and exhilarating, this car provides a paramount racing experience, whether you are actively piloting it or engaged in autonomous driving mode."

Faraday Future, which is backed by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, has garnered a lot of attention in recent months, initially seen as a potential front for Apple's secretive car project known as Project Titan within the company. That possibility was quickly scotched but the company has managed to secure some key hires from competitors including Tesla.

Faraday Future will hold a press event on Monday evening at 8 p.m. PST where executives are set to discuss the concept vehicle and the company's plans for a new ownership model where consumers no longer own a car but have access to one whenever they need it.

While a model of the car will be present at CES this week, the concept car will not be functioning, according to sources speaking to IBT UK and won't be able to drive. The leaked concept design shows the driver in a cockpit-style arrangement in front of two passenger seats at the rear. As you can see from the images, the design of the steering wheel and dashboard is reminiscent of a fighter jet.

However the source speaking to IBT UK said the car will "probably not" be built in its current form or "arrangement" – referring to the single-seat layout. The source added that "maybe a shorter, more aerodynamic two-seat version for Pikes Peak" could be built, referring to the annual 12.4-mile hill-climb race which takes place on Pikes Peak in Colorado next June.