Rainy conditions can be dangerous, particularly when driving a high-performance vehicle, as a Ferrari SF90 Stradale owner from Finland learned the hard way last fall. Now, an unfortunate accident has resulted in one of the largest auto insurance payouts in the country’s history.
The driver of the supercar claimed to have been traveling at normal speeds along the highway, emphasizing that he was within the speed limit when he encountered a patch of water that had collected in the ruts of the road. That sent his hypercar aquaplaning out of control.
Fortunately, by the time it collided with the barrier, the Ferrari had decelerated significantly, resulting in the driver escaping uninjured from the accident. In fact, the driver informed Ilta Sanomat that the impact was so mild that the airbags didn’t deploy.
Read: Oblivious Ferrari SF90 Stradale Driver Shreds Wheel After Ignoring Flat Tire
Despite that, the damage to the front of the car was significant. The photos from the scene reveal that the front bumper, hood, and wheel arches are all crunched and that the front right wheel collapsed.
Ferrari distrutta in un incidente, il risarcimento costerà caro all’assicurazione
— Fanpage.it (@fanpage) March 18, 2024
Si tratta di uno dei più onerosi della storia, una cifra record! https://t.co/vC8eDbpI0c
The nature of the damage made it difficult for the insurer to assess the case, taking months to work out if it would be cheaper to repair the Italian exotic car or call it a total loss. According to the vehicle’s owner, the hood alone would have cost €30,000 (around US$ 32,500 at current exchange rates) to replace, and things only got more expensive from there.
As a result, the insurer ultimately deemed the car a total loss and compensated the owner with €530,000 (approximately $574,800), marking one of the largest payouts in Finnish history. Although this sum falls short of the car’s original value of €750,000 (around $813,400) when purchased new, it’s worth noting that the vehicle had accumulated nearly 33,000 miles (53,000 km) prior to the accident.
The owner says that after receiving the payout, he had planned to just take the money, and be satisfied with the other cars in his collection — after all, he has an order for a Ferrari 296 GTS in the books. But the desire to drive a mid-engine hybrid was too urgent to wait, so he bought himself a McLaren Artura, which the insurance payout should easily cover.
As for the SF90, it’s now being auctioned for parts. So, if you’re searching for some Ferrari seats, now you know where to look.
