Originally Posted by pizzaguy

I think it holds the oil filter.
But seriously, it IS a different design, one that every other engine manufacturer should copy right away. WHY? Well, other than "I said so" - it gets you to the oil filter without crawling under the car. ALSO, if you unscrew the filter assembly about five turns, then drain the engine oil from below - by the time you come back to the filter, it's drained out completely and you can remove the filter and assembly without getting oil all over the place!
I't's a wonderful design.