Relative to other cars, my MINI sure lets out a lot of steam and "smoke", and I have noticed this from other MINIs when it becomes cold outside. On some other cars, there is no sight of steam whatsoever. Is it the path of the steam that determines when and how it condenses?

 

At least on the MCS, whenever there is condensation or moisture boiling off the engine, it seems to come from the hood scoop, which has no screen or anything to stop it.

 

MINIs (especially MCS) have a rather large and somewhat exposed exhaust system, the hot exhaust coming from the engine will tend to condense into water vapor and be visibly emitted until the exhaust system heats up enough to let the exhaust pass through 'uncondensed'. Also, if you car sits outside during a night with lots of dew, the water condenses on the engine and exhaust system (and everything else). When the engine is started up and begins heating up, the MCS hood scoop provides a nice outlet for the steam to show.

Call it 'dragon's breath'.

 

It just seems that under normal operating conditions after everything has warmed up, the MINI emits much more steam from the exhaust when you hit the gas on cold days than others on the road. Some cars don't seem to emit much at all. Perhaps on these other cars the vapors have enough time to condense into water before they leave the pipe?

 

Might have something to do with the fact that MCSs run very rich.

 

Yeah I think that has a lot to do with it. My exhaust tips are always covered in black soot.

 

I have an MC, and I have noticed that at a stoplight smoke/steam sometimes surrounds my car if the wind blows just right when it's cold.