Supercar Spitting

Supercars spitting fire from their exhausts is a result of unburned fuel igniting as it exits the exhaust system. This typically occurs in high-performance cars with powerful engines that operate at high RPMs.

When the engine suddenly decelerates or shifts gears, a rich air-fuel mixture can remain in the exhaust system. The heat from the exhaust pipes is enough to ignite this unburned fuel, causing flames to momentarily shoot out of the exhaust.

This phenomenon is more common in turbocharged or tuned engines, where aggressive fuel mapping or high-performance modifications enhance the likelihood of fuel-rich exhaust.

Though it looks dramatic, fire from the exhaust is mostly a visual byproduct of the car’s high power output and not a sign of malfunction.