Video: Legendary Ferrari F40 goes down in flames

The owner of this magnificent vintage-looking supercar drove it along Monaco streets when the engine suddenly caught fire. A few minutes later, the Italian icon of automotive luxury burned out completely.

According to the witnesses, the flames spread way too fast to do anything. A man came out on the balcony of a neighboring home with a water hose and started pouring water on the blazing gasoline, but this had zero visible effect. When the fire brigade came, nothing was left: the engine bay (this is where the fire must have started, according to a preliminary investigation) and the entire cabin were destroyed beyond all hope of restoration.

The F40 occupied the pinnacle of the Ferrari lineup in 1987 – 1992 and was the last model designed when the original company founder Enzo Ferrari was still alive. The mid-engine coupe came equipped with a 2.9-liter V8 engine rated at 478 hp (356 kW) and 577 Nm (426 lb-ft) of torque. A total of 1,315 units rolled off the assembly lines and are now considered valuable collector’s items with prices often exceeding 1,000,000 USD.