You mean to say the cats are made from recycled Ford Cortinas? (=ferric oxide)
One might suppose there would be more unburnt HC available when the engine is cold - correct? I was told when I got the Tornado re-chip done to my 2003 Plus 8 I could expect a slightly different warm-up 'experience' and I believe the standard chipping is set to minimize emissions with a cold engine. Since US market is a big issue for MMC one can see why they might play it conservative on getting certification.
