Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomad81
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayparry
Its not the height of the hood, its the clearance between the hood and the engine. There has to be a gap of air between the hood and the hard engine underneath, and if you have a big awesome BMW engine under there, you will probably have to put the hood up higher. A wimpy audi engine probably sits well under it  |
IDK, but it could also be that the Audi's design was approved before the latest regulations kicked in.
FYI, the latest rules require 3 inches of clearance between the bonnet/hood of a car and the engine, hence the bulbous front-ends of pretty much every new BMW. |
Audi can not get a 5 star ENCAP IIRC.
Also- in the EU BMW uses pyrotechnics at the hood hinges to elevate the rear of the hood, if the hood line was not as it is, disconnected from the bumper the hood would bind and not elevate. The reason for the bumper protrusion and height us for the hip impact where much if the force is incurred on the initial pedestrian hit.
In the US it is less if a concern but in Europe people walk more often and cross walks do not always have lights, can be on blind corners etc.
Peugeot and Alfa seem to have similar hood lines on newer models, not just BMW. Merc's new B is also pedestrian friendly with a newer look nose.
As other EU brands start introducing new models and caring about the regs, you'll see more fronts with similar proportions.