A Ferrari F40 Just Burned to the Ground in Japan

There can be few better combinations of car and road than a Ferrari F40 and "Japan's Nurburgring," the Hakone Turnpike. The F40, a turbocharged masterpiece that represents the pinnacle of the middle of Ferrari's history, and the turnpike, a legendary toll road known for its near-flawless surface, are practically made for each other, and the driver of this particular car was surely having an excellent time. Until it all went wrong.

According to a report from Yahoo! Japan, the driver and their passenger noticed smoke during their drive on Saturday and immediately pulled to a stop. They got out of the car safely, then watched as every classic car owner's nightmare unfolded in front of them: that smoke turned to fire, and one of the most celebrated cars ever made began to burn down.

One Twitter user caught a photo of the early stages of the fire, showing the red F40 billowing smoke and flame from its engine bay. Fire crews eventually arrived, but, by the time they did, little more than a pile of burnt carbon remained: