IIRC, the newly enforced Euro safety regs require a vehicle crumple zone on the hood between the hood and the hard engine components so that when a pedestrian is hit hard in the thighs and their head is then rotated downwards onto the hood with force there is a nice soft crumply hood for them to splat onto.
All new Euro designs and all US and Japanese models that are also sold in Europe have had to be re-designed with this high-hood look...with the striations help with the controlled crushing, I suspect.
Your well read, Seize. Yes Euro design stds and global platforms make for all sorts of “design constraints”...
Wow!
I guess Ferraris are destined for a startling new look some time in the near future, huh?
I heard the guys on Top Gear talking about that. They also mentioned that the US regs now require much better rollover protection so the pillars (especially the A pillar) are much bigger. That has led to worse visibility in many vehicle. That makes very little sense in my book.