Also the fact NElves are descended from Trolls. And it's natural to assume the Zandalari, the elite of Troll clans, would be a bit more evolved than their lesser servants.
And the elders do? The still shot on the front page didn't make it look that way.
---------- Post added 2013-02-25 at 06:00 PM ----------
Much better picture found. Our updated trolls could look a bit like
FFXIV - Maduin (Dynamis DC)
You can't recycle something that has never been used before. They probably just made new models where they fit. Most of the bosses in the raid were supposed to be pretty generic looking, while the 5-mans had some of the most important lore characters in the game - Tyrande, Azshara, young Illidan, Murozond, etc.
The Zandalari have ALWAYS said to be "alien" looking compared to other trolls. These are probably different looking because of the Mogu using the powers related to the Well of Eternity in the Vale, just as the Night Elves were beings changed by the Well of Eternity, this could very well be why the Zandalari look like they do in 5.2 rather than this being what they always looked like going back tens and thousands of years.
And NO, they are in no part an indication of the art direction for the new player models other than over all fidelity. Many people don't seem clear on something in this thread, we are getting updated animations as well as facial expressions with the new player models, but we aren't getting brand new designs from scratch. You will recognize your updated model as still being you, but with more expression and cartoon physics in your movements.
A blue poster was asked if the 5.2 troll models were a sneak peak in any way of the player models, and he said no, not at all, other than the fact they are trolls.
When asked about the updated animations, a blue replied that the Forsaken heroic strike animation will still be the basic flip manuever you've been used to over the last 8 years, it's just being reimagined as if they made the animation from scratch today with today's technology, Pandaren quality. So it will look more nuanced and bouncy and more stylized in some ways I would guess.
But the trolls will always look like they do in the concept art, they aren't being changed to look more attractive or whatever you the Zandalari offer.
I do however hold out hope, that with the new models possibly taking the place of a new race next expansion, those resources for a new race and starting area can be used to give us EXPANDED customization, like new hairstyles and new faces and most of all tattoos and ethnic skin choices, so we could be Wildhammer Dwarves, or Mag'har or Fel Orcs, or Forest Trolls, with all the expanded customization that would feel right for Blizzard's character creation experience, something not too intimidating with hundreds of choices but with very strong and bold and stark choices between what is offered.
I would love different body choices, but I doubt that will ever happen. I would love to see a night elf druid with the massive hulking body of the WC3 Druids of the Claw, they would look more like Forest Troll behemoths or giant orcs than night elf player models we have. Or a forest troll or Zandalari troll as well as a Darkspear. The lore is there for most of this already, and new lore would be welcome.
If you like my draw-rings. http://yig.deviantart.com/
If you can't find them for some reason beyond that page. http://yig.deviantart.com/gallery/
WOW screenshot and concept art gallery http://smg.photobucket.com/user/evilknick/library/WoW
Call it repurposing if you like. Point is, the difference between the quality level in FL and DS is staggering. Its clear it that entire tier was rushed to pump out MoP faster. And given the quality still apparent in the WoE I wouldn't be surprised if it was leftovers from scrapped content.
Recycling, repurposing, the "re" part means "doing something again". War of the Ancients raid was never in the actual game, so any materials that may have been salvaged from it can't be re-anything. Not even the connotation of the word applies, as those weren't models/graphics/mechanics we've already seen somewhere else, so we couldn't feel disappointed that it's the same thing "again".