Photography (astrophotography mainly) is one of my favorite pass times. Whoever took this picture had a very good idea how to get dept perception by shooting from an angle. The fact that we see the exhaust pipe from this vantage point will make it appear it is further back or even shorter because you can't see the length of pipe that is blocked from the bends rise out of the muffler at one side and the fall of the exhaust exit point at the other end so that is giving and interposition view of how our eyes see things so it does affect our visual depth perception. And as George pointed out the muffler does look pushed up and the axle down.
Mike
