Ferrari FF on fire in China

 Ferrari FF on fire in China
Ferrari FF fire, 500, 20.02.2012

Another self-immolation has occured in China again, but this time it's not a Tibetan Buddhist monk protesting China's rule over Tibet - it's a Ferrari FF.

The Ferrari Four, four-seater, four-wheel drive supercar was driving down Shi Bo Avenue in Shanghai when smoke began to billow out from underneath the car followed by flames. Emergency services arrived on the scene quickly and extinguished the fire. No one was injured.

Chinese media have quoted Ferrari China saying that an investigation into the cause is currently under way.

Initial speculation suggests that the FF was driving at slow speeds in traffic for an extended period of time causing materials to overheat and catch fire.

Looking at the photos, this could be a possibility as the smoke and flames are concentrated under the cabin of the vehicle and not the engine. The hottest components in this area are the exhaust pipes which can certainly cause a fire if something flammable is in close proximity.

This latest Ferrari fire follows a recall of 1,248 Ferrari 458 Italias which saw 10 units spontaneously combust within a period of three months back in 2010.

Hopefully, Ferrari does not repeat the 458 fires as this is not the first FF to catch fire.

 

Source: carschina.com via chinacartimes.com

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 AG4 AG4
This is like the nth time there was news on a Ferrari catching fire. Haven't they learned from the previous generation Ferrari car models that also cought fire?
+3
February 20, 2012 3:00 pm
 vilivo vilivo
They have, can't you see- they are catching fire better and better. Within the next decade, special clients will be able to get an invite to buy a special model, which will be already on fire when they buy it. As per the maker's tradition, these will be only offered to a select few clients.
February 21, 2012 8:35 am
 moodyaaa moodyaaa
No good news!! Hopefully it's not a big issue like the 458's
February 20, 2012 3:32 pm
 droid_dtm droid_dtm
Sorry to say but as much as I love European cars and their superior engineering (well supposedly), they still have a thing or two to learn from the Asians in terms of durability and reliability. All the hot weather testing done is pretty pointless since the car's in motion and air moving across surfaces will obviously have a cooling effect. What they need to do it park the damn things in a dessert in the UAE and let it sit there for a good month or two, with someone starting it every morning and leaving it running at idle for the entire day, with lights, a/c, everything on. Then an only then they'll see what heat and stagnated air can do to a car
-2
February 20, 2012 3:56 pm
 sideskraper sideskraper
Car manufacturers do that sort of testing as standard, as well as much much more. But they do them in environmental testing facilities specially built to replicate specific and extreme conditions that exist around the world. The real world hot weather testing is much more important though. Locations are often places like Africa, Arizona, various locations in the middle east, Australia, etc. The exact locale varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The cooling effect of the airflow is minor. What they benefit from the actual running is the extreme temperatures of the engine, brakes, and exhaust in real world extreme environments. This sort of testing often takes months and not only validates chamber testing but introduces many other environmental variables that the car needs to survive. Exotics will always find a way of over heating, although with the weather a rather chilly and overcast 48 degrees farenheit in SHanghai as I type this, it is unliklely that the weather conditions played much of a role in this incident.
+2
February 21, 2012 1:19 am
 nforspeed91 nforspeed91
Well there's a shocker. /s
+3
February 20, 2012 6:23 pm
 edd_lg edd_lg
And they said the FF isn't a real Ferrari...
+1
February 20, 2012 9:20 pm
 THERENAISSANCEMAN THERENAISSANCEMAN
oh but indeed it is . FF stands for FlamingFerrari . goes well with its flaming Ferrari Red paintwork . to think that the weather in China is still considerably cold at this time of the year .
+4
February 20, 2012 10:04 pm
 golddaytona golddaytona
italy should go broke for making such lousy products
February 20, 2012 10:08 pm
 vilivo vilivo
That comment is a bit late- read the financial news...
+1
February 21, 2012 8:38 am
 Bozzor Bozzor
Ferrari general quality of materials fit and finish is quite good and most Ferraris actually work out quite well for their owners, especially compared to the horrors people had to put up with up until the early 1990s. However, Ferraris are largely hand built in limited numbers, so they don't have the insanely massive R&D + testing that a mass market model like an MB E class or BMW 7 series would have. Combine that with extremely high stressed components, then the laws of probability eventually catch them out. Still, it doesn't stop the waiting list. For everyone person that can afford a Ferrari who sees a story like this and cancels their order...there are 20 people who will take their place and take their chances...
February 21, 2012 3:05 am
 sensei sensei
Ferrari's have an F word that applies to them in a way that few ever want to accept is - fragile.
+1
February 21, 2012 3:13 am
 Meilen Meilen
You mean F as FANTASTIC !! :)
-1
February 21, 2012 5:17 am
 vilivo vilivo
or, as in flimsy...
+1
February 21, 2012 8:39 am
 sideskraper sideskraper
Foolish? Faulty? Flunked? Flawed? Frail? Facaetious? Flippant? Frivolous? Fail? Feeble? Fallen?
February 21, 2012 5:33 pm
 vilivo vilivo
You forgot Fire...
February 22, 2012 9:29 am
 Zookie Zookie
FF = Ferrari Fire
+2
February 21, 2012 7:25 am
 Kevinfx35 Kevinfx35
Looks like this just done by other competition brand example for Lamborghini or Porsche or whatever.... Who's know? Chiness can do anything to get money from their new customer especially for the richie rich with no brain!
February 22, 2012 7:05 am
 mechamynd mechamynd
its hot :)
February 22, 2012 11:22 am