I have seen many cars with exposed timing belts, although I have no idea why this is a good idea. Is it simply vanity, or is it to access adjustable timing gears? I would suspect the latter but I have seen this on cars without adjustable gears. Any reasonable explanation would be appreciated. Thanks for pointing a newbie in the right direction.

 

1. Its easy to see if one has slipped a tooth with the gears and belt exposed.
2. It looks kinda sweet too

 

It really does look cool. Thanks for the info.

 

It's a touch ricey on cars w/o adjustable gears, but it does allow you to quickly confirm timing.