  The elastic scattering angular distribution of the $^{16}$O$+^{60}$Ni system
at $260$ MeV was measured in the range of the Rutherford cross section down to
$7$ orders of magnitude below. The cross sections of the lowest $2^{+}$ and
$3^{-}$ inelastic states of the target were also measured over a several orders
of magnitude range. Coupled channel (CC) calculations were performed and are
shown to be compatible with the whole set of data only when including the
excitation of the projectile and when the deformations of the imaginary part of
the nuclear optical potential are taken into account. Similar results were
obtained when the procedure is applied to the existing data on
$^{16}$O$+^{27}$Al elastic and inelastic scattering at $100$ and $280$ MeV. An
analysis in terms of Dynamical Polarization Potentials (DPP) indicate the major
role of coupled channel effects in the overlapping surface region of the
colliding nuclei.
