As shooting on the next James Bond film Spectre gets under way, it has been foiled by a heist befitting its opening act: nine luxury cars destined for the shoot have been stolen from a garage in Germany.

The cars, including five Range Rover Sport models, are worth £630,000, and had been specially customised for the Bond film. The Daily Express reports that the theft could delay filming, and that the German police have no leads. Land Rover told the paper: “We are aware of the theft of a number of Range Rovers in Dusseldorf, Germany. This is a criminal act and the police are carrying out a full investigation.”

The cars were going to be used in the Alps, just one of the typically globetrotting locations in Spectre that also include London, Rome, Mexico City and the Moroccan Sahara.

Spectre was launched at a press conference last week, with Daniel Craig returning as 007 alongside Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott and Christoph Waltz – the latter rumoured to be playing Blofeld.

The film’s chief bit of automotive kit, the Aston Martin DB10, remains safe, however. The model is being developed especially for the film, with only 10 cars being produced.



• Catch up on all the Guardian’s coverage of Spectre