This could have easily been avoided.
The car gods have claimed yet another Ferrari, this time a desirable 458 Italia, in a rather bizarre crash. Two video clips shared to Instagram by speedhouston show the Italian supercar leaving a show. Keen to disembark dramatically, the Ferrari's driver floors the throttle, leading to a rather fairly embarrassing accident.
The 458 quickly loses control and spins. At first, it appears as if the driver has gained control of the mid-engined beauty, but that's not the case. Like a pendulum, the Ferrari sways from one side to the other and, for some inexplicable reason, rolls into a wall at low speed.
To make matters worse, the impact caused the airbags to deploy, most likely causing tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to the F8 Tributo predecessor.
The most bizarre part of this calamity is that it was entirely preventable. Thankfully, while the car was spinning, it managed to avoid any pedestrians or innocent motorists. But the driver, who was presumably in shock, just let the Ferrari mount the sidewalk and ram the wall, instead of applying the brakes.
Save from the embarrassment, it seems no one was seriously injured - but for the woman behind the wheel, things may get a lot worse. The Ferrari reportedly isn't hers; social media comments suggest the vehicle belongs to her father who is a well-known lawyer in the Houston area. It's not clear in the video, but branding similar to the law firm's logo can be seen on the hood. This has not been confirmed, though.
After the incident the driver can be seen exiting the vehicle, already making a call to presumably deliver the bad news. While the 458 is comparatively docile when compared to supercars of the past, it's still a tricky car to handle if you're not used to the power and dynamics. Incidents such as this are why some Australian government officials are demanding special licenses for high-performance vehicles.
It also highlights the importance of proper driver training. You may be in a position to drive vehicles like the 458 Italia, but that doesn't mean you're qualified to be behind the wheel. Thankfully, this particular incident only resulted in damage to the Ferrari and no injuries or deaths.
Compared to other Ferrari accidents, this is relatively tame. In July, a one-of-one Ferrari 250 GT Breadvan crashed at the Le Mans Classic event. Not long before that, an F40 was trashed on a European hill climb event. While both vehicles sustained substantial damage, their scarcity and value will ensure they see the road once again.
Unfortunately, we can't say the same for a Ferrari 488 Pista that was smashed in a freak accident in Poland. The vehicle was traveling along a damp stretch of highway when it reportedly lost control and slid into a barrier, flattening the car instantly. Thankfully, no one was injured.
The takeaway from these accidents is this - no matter what you drive, respect your vehicle's limits and drive carefully, no matter how talented you think you are.
Acura
Alfa Romeo
Aston Martin
Audi
Automobili Pininfarina
Bentley
BMW
Bollinger
BrightDrop
Bugatti
Buick
Cadillac
Caterham
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Dodge
Ferrari
Fiat
Fisker
Ford
Genesis
GMC
Gordon Murray Automotive
Hennessey
Honda
Hyundai
Ineos Automotive
Infiniti
Jaguar
Jeep
Karma
Kia
Koenigsegg
Lamborghini
Land Rover
Lexus
Lincoln
Lordstown
Lotus
Lucid Motors
Maserati
Mazda
McLaren
Mercedes-Benz
Mini
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Pagani
Polestar
Porsche
Ram
Rimac
Rivian
Rolls-Royce
Spyker
Subaru
Tesla
Toyota
VinFast
Volkswagen
Volvo
Join The Discussion