gs300 engine bay - is this normal?

This could really take my 'common sense' standing to new depths but i felt like asking!
 
I see a lot of threads about suspension arms hitting wheel wells on Aristos, both 1 and 2 GS, so i was thinking okay im going to have to beat/box/other my wheel wells to gain clearance and i had accepted that.
 
Today i actually looked under the bonnet properly for only the 1st time since i did at the dealership when i bought the car and looked at the strut towers. I noticed they already are pretty much boxed upwards? 1 has an igniter module mounted on it (i know this because it is labelled... haha) and the other has a compliance/info plate with engine no. and paint code etc.
 
[IMG]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/ant_s13sil/GS300%20Project/enginebay2.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/ant_s13sil/GS300%20Project/engineBay1.jpg[/IMG]
 
Now i assumed it must be normal to be like that but then i thought how the hell do guys drill holes then if there is igniters and compliance plates there? Do you drill off the plate and move it and remount the igniter to the side of the strut tower?
 
So my question is, is this normal to have these box sections, or is the Australian delivered model 'special'? 
 
Please dont be too harsh on me in light of the fact i have never seen any other 2GS engine bay, and couldnt even find one by searching forums or Google searching.
 
Cheers
Ant

haha i take it that it is seeing as ive had no replies

Yes, they are raised up a bit 'normal'. You have to cut out that, and make it higher basically to gain clearance.

id recommend looking undereath for yourself. i mean, jack up the front end and put it on jack stands, remove the wheels and the whole strut assembly, install the wheel back and jack up the suspension until i bottoms out... or even jack up the suspension without the wheel for a closer look. on a 1gen LS400, the arm doesnt hit, the strut bottoms out first. thebeeguy is on coilovers with UAS and his front rim kisses the fenders. im not too sure for a 1gen GS, but you can find out for sure before you go and cut holes in your towers... gl with that....

Yea unfortunely for all 2nd gen GS's who is close to the pavement that upper A arm is an issue.  There is a thread on the forum on how and where to drill a 2" hole in the fender wall from the engine bay.   I havent done it myself I was able to raise the car up a 1/4" and I have pretty much eliminated the issue...and the front is still low enough to scrap hills in Tallahassee