Ferrari FF in China catches fire, joins lists of self-immolating Ferraris worldwide

One of the quiet perks to owning a new Ferrari is that if your car catches fire, fans around the world will notice -- despite Ferrari's well-documented tendency to self-immolate. This $800,000 Ferrari FF in Shanghai apparently took its baptism by fire last week after being stuck in traffic for too long, and burned to a total loss.

No one was injured in the blaze, which photos suggest began in the rear of the FF away from its 12-cylinder engine. Last year, after a string of fires in the Ferrari 458, the Italian house issued a polite recall and changed materials around the engine compartment, while replacing the burned cars of every owner who suffered a loss for free.

But this doesn't address the question of whether Ferraris truly are more prone to external combustion or whether they're just more likely to be photographed getting flame-surfaced than any other vehicle. I suspect it's a combination; while there's little higher on the rubbernecking scale than a hot Ferrari, those cars produce tremendous amounts of power and heat in a tiny package. Given that Ferrari sales have only gone up in recent years, a little smoke isn't enough to scare away buyers who want to ride the prancing stallion.