Sometimes even the best-laid plans can go up in flames, or perhaps the occasional finely crafted Italian sports car, as one U.K. man learned.

Martin Bullen, a worker for Romans International, a luxury car supplier based in Surrey, U.K., was driving a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano to a repair shop when something went horribly wrong. While stopped at a traffic light, the glossy “horse” let out a neigh and then burst into flames. Luckily, Bullen escaped unscathed. But even though firefighters arrived quickly to extinguish the blaze, the car was unsalvageable. Bullen immediately phoned his boss, Paul Jaconelli, to relay the news.

According to www.motorauthority.com, Jaconelli was relieved to learn that the manufacturer would foot the $488,000 bill, as the car was still under warranty. Although the actual cause for the malfunction has not been disclosed, some theorize that the engine could have overheated. There have been cases of at least two other charred Ferraris this year: one driver's 599 burst into flames on the initial drive from a dealer in Germany, and a faulty oil line sparked a fire that ravaged an F430. There has been at least one reported incident of a Mercedes McLaren SLR spontaneously combusting, as well.