If you were to choose one of the five basic elements of the universe and associate it with Ferrari, which one would you go for? Most would skip water and wood and say "fire", with the mere mention of this Italian manufacturer conjuring up vivid images of tire-shredding, all-conquering, red-lining, red-painted supercars. The fire reference you probably didn't think up was one of a dead Ferrari 458 Spider, burned to the ground, not much more left of it than its ashes. And yet, this is exactly what a seller in California believes someone out there is after.

Recently put up for auction on the website Copart, there are mere tiny remnants of this V8-engined monster left, after it presumably crashed and then burst into flames. As you can see from the pictures, a severely warped wheel is the only part that somewhat resembles its original form. Being the Spider, there's also an aluminum retractable hardtop in there somewhere.

Perusing the auction listing, it's amusing to note that the car's color is listed as "BURN" - to our eyes, it's more a combination of ash gray with copper accents. The listing also goes on to mention that features include a 4.5-liter engine, rear-wheel-drive, and eight cylinders, although we'd need an automotive engineer and a magnifying glass to verify this information. Whether it's for the pure psychological satisfaction of "owning" an exotic, the VIN number, or sheer boredom, this isn't the first time that a wreck of this stature has been put up for sale and presumably sold, indicating that a very curious market does exist for these things.

Still interested in the most exotic pile of junk you're likely to come across? Well, you can take heart from the fact that when new, the gorgeous 458 Spider put out well over 500 horsepower and would have set you back more than $250k. If you have a vivid imagination and can manifest the feeling of what the 458 was originally like to drive while dragging around its remains in a bag, then this is without question the car for you. If, like us, you prefer your Ferrari in one piece, then it's best to look elsewhere.