“The Ferrari Enzo was heading towards town, past the traffic lights next to the TrustFord garage, and came crashing over the central reservation, spinning around,” jerseyeveningpost.com reports. “The Islander added that the Ferrari then ‘span across the westbound carriage and landed in its position on the path of the lay-by, outside Vinny’s cafe’.” Oh dear . . .
It’s hardly the first Ferrari Enzo crash. At the beginning of this year, just outside of Amsterdam, an Enzo driver had a bit of a fender bender. OK, maybe the damage won’t buff out . . .
. . . the Enzo in question looks to be heavily damaged, with the two right-side wheels torn from their mounting points, along with several suspension pieces. The airbags were deployed in the wreck, and both of the rear bumpers have also suffered damage.
Road & Track
The World’s Most Famous Ferrari Enzo Crash
The Dutch disaster’s nothing compared to the world’s most famous Ferrari crash: an illegally imported Enzo that met its end on California’s Pacific Coast Highway. Driven by Swedish “businessman” Stefan Eriksson (not his fictitious chauffeur “Dietrich”), the PCH crash had its roots in chutzpah.
Mr. Eriksson is an extremely rare kind of international fugitive: one who doesn’t believe in keeping a low profile. No rental car for this Swedish drug dealer. No flying below the radar.
Encountering a Mercedes-McLaren SLR on the PCH, Eriksson decided to pit Ferrari ferocity against Mercedes machismo. At some point in the proceedings Eriksson’s Enzo hit a bump and went airborne. A utility pole put an end to his aerial adventure, cleaving the Ferrari in two.
The Truth About the Ferrari Enzo
The truth about the Ferrari Enzo, from someone who’s driven one? The car’s a bit of a handful. As you might expect from a carbon fiber and Kevlar two-seater powered by a 6.0-liter V12 generating 651 hp and 485 lb⋅ft of torque. But wait there’s more!
Actually, less. As EVO’s Antony Ingrams pointed out, “the Ferrari Enzo perhaps best represented the breed of naturally aspirated, mechanical hypercars built before today’s thick veil of electronic intervention had fully materialised.”
And there you have it. Overcook an Enzo and there’s no electronic nanny ready to save your bacon. If there were, you wouldn’t be reading about a Ferrari Enzo crash or twelve, right? In other words, today’s Ferraris’ “thick veil of electronic intervention” are safer than yesteryear’s. Let’s go to the tape . . .
Ferrari 812 Superfast Crash
The 812 Superfast is heavier than the mid-engined Enzo (3,594 lbs. vs. 3,009 lbs.). But the latter day front-engined Ferrari’s motivated by an Enzo-besting 6.5-liter V12, cranking out 800 hp and 530 lb ft of torque.
Ah, but there’s traction control! Three levels! Surely this “thick veil of electronic intervention” helps prevent an over-enthusiastic 812 Superfast driver from renting his car asunder. Not in this case – assuming he/she/they didn’t turn it off.
I’m not sure that matters, statistically speaking. A Google image search of “Superfast 812 crashes” offers a farrago of crushed, crumpled and creased Ferraris. Same for “Ferrari F8 crashes,” which includes a link to at least one fatal wreck.
Bottom line: I don’t think many indeed most of these poor unfortunate souls were driving their Italian stallion with the electronic calvary confined to quarters.
Are Ferraris Dangerous?
If we set aside the handling nanny on/off question, we’re still left with a global concern: are Ferraris inherently dangerous?
Stop right there! You did notice the Ferrari bake failure elephant in the room. While none of the Ferrari crashes mentioned in this article are due to brake failure – as far as we know – there are plenty that are. Until and unless Ferrari fully addresses that problem, hell yes they’re dangerous!
Ahem. Turning our attention to other variables, note that the average Ferrari owner is far more reckless than the average anything else owner (save Lamborghini). You can’t blame a Ferrari for its driver’s lack of skill or their inability to resist the need for speed, can you?
Truth be told, everything happens faster in a Ferrari. Unlike say, a Porsche, the line between finding a Ferrari’s limits and exceeding them is measured in seconds and feet, and not much of either. You’re never more than an injudicious toe flex or brake press away from losing control.
I reckon the latest Ferrari Enzo crash – one of at least a dozen – is a lesson to all Ferrari owners. No matter which Ferrari you’re driving or whether or not you’ve cranked the manettino lever clockwise, it pays to keep one thing in mind: yes, your Ferrari is trying to kill you. Bless its heart.
