By Christopher Corr
Car insurance companies could well be breathing a sigh of relief after Ferrari announced plans to recall its entire 458 Italia range over reports of unexplained fires.
The move will see some 1,200 of the luxury cars, which cost around £170,000, sent back to the factory for modification work.
A spokesman for the company said its engineers had flown around the world to investigate five "thermal incidents" in California, Paris, Switzerland, China and one other unnamed location.
The problem is believed to be connected to an adhesive used in the car's wheel-arch assemblies which can overheat, smoke and even catch fire in certain circumstances.
Isolated examples have seen the fire deform a liner protecting the engine so that it moves closer to the exhaust and catches fire itself.
Those owners whose cars were destroyed because of the problem will receive a replacement model, Ferrari said.
All other buyers will have their vehicles modified.
