in game type 16 thermal signature
Irl thermal signature
Note that the exhaust port highlighted in red does not emit any heat at all. This is because it is made of a thin composite heat shield, similar to the ones on the Type 10 tank, designed to suppress infrared radiation.
Which in-game, the Type 16 you shown exhaust also seems to not emmit heat radiation; Your argument is valid but driven by poor sources, we as we in me don’t know the source that was used to see the thermal signature, which in War Thunder only follows image resolution quality and sharpness, not brightness or other factors alike
If you adjust the exposure, brightness and contrast you may get the same results or similar:
similar is pushing it a bit nearly the entire type 16 is dark on irl thermals and only really the wheels so heat where in wt magically the entire tank is showing heat yes weather and temp does make a factor but in war thunder somehow everything is magically shower heat