Why Do Sports Car Exhaust Pipes Shoot Flames?

[DelBrooke]

Sports car exhaust pipes shoot flames when, after heavily pressing the accelerator and suddenly releasing it, an excess of fuel-air mixture leaks into the exhaust pipe through the exhaust valve. This flammable gas is ignited by the high heat of the exhaust pipe and is forcefully expelled along with the exhaust pulse, appearing as flames shooting out from the exhaust pipe when viewed from outside the car. Here is an extended explanation: 1. Common scenarios: This phenomenon is more common in race cars or heavily modified vehicles. These cars typically have engines with high compression ratios, along with factors such as high-angle camshafts and rich fuel mixture settings, causing the exhaust pipes to shoot flames after heavy acceleration followed by sudden throttle release. 2. Modification principle: The principle involves installing a spark plug at the end of the exhaust pipe outlet. By pressing a button inside the car, it synchronously controls the fuel injectors to spray more fuel, simultaneously igniting the expelled fuel-air mixture to create flame shooting.