Maybe it is a question of efficiency in certain speed ranges.

Howard Hughes had an obsession with breaking the world airspeed record in the 1930's and he had his team developing fast planes. Finlly he had them to make the rivets of the H1 Racer flush with the surface and polish it to a mirror finish.

In the 1940's they were desperate to improve the performance of fighter planes and the opposite experiment was carried out in Britain on a Spitfire where they went and actually glued peas in patterns on the plane to see what difference in speed it would make. The plane was slower.

So this whole issue is not new and certainly, if there were any merit in dimples or bumps, somebody would have included it in their designs for cars and planes long time ago.

Judging by the bad share performance, all the major companies in both industries are in dire financial straights and is looking at anything to give them the cutting edge....even if it is only to mke "green friendly " products. Just a thought.