Ferrari SF90 Spider breaks in half in Australian crash and driver is unharmed

A Ferrari SF90 Spider broke in two parts after hitting a tree following a serious accident on the Gold Coast, Australia. The most unlikely thing is that the driver walked away and, a few hours later, was already on social networks thanking Ferrari for being alive.

The crash happened around 9:15 am on Saturday. At the wheel was Sam Gordon, a real estate investor and influencer known in the region. According to Queensland Police, the car left the road and collided with a tree. No other vehicles were involved and no one else was injured, despite the fact that the crash occurred a few meters from a pedestrian road.

The images that circulated on the networks show the size of the impact: the front half of the Ferrari stopped on a lawn next to the road, while the entire rear — with the twin-turbo V8, the gearbox and the hybrid components — was a few meters away. Interestingly, much of the front looks little damaged, which suggests that the wheels, bumper and headlights did not suffer a direct impact.

Why Ferrari broke in half

It may seem like catastrophic failure, but it’s almost the opposite. As in other mid-engine super sports cars, the rear of the SF90 — engine, gearbox and subframe — is bolted to the carbon fiber and aluminum monocoque. The idea is to create programmed crumple zones at the front and rear, while the central cell, where the driver is located, remains intact.

That’s exactly what happened. The outer structure fell apart and absorbed the energy of the crash; The cabin resisted. Gordon was assessed at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries and, according to the Queensland ambulance service, no occupants required medical attention.

The scene has a famous antecedent: in 2006, a Ferrari Enzo also split in two in a high-speed accident in California.

One of the most powerful Ferraris of all time

The SF90 Spider combines a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with three electric motors and delivers 1,000 hp as a whole. The combustion engine alone yields 81.6 kgfm. The 7.9 kWh battery guarantees about 25 km in electric mode, and Ferrari declares 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 340 km/h.

The cause, however, remains undecided: Queensland Police say the investigation is ongoing and has not said whether the driver has been charged.

The car involved is estimated between R$ 3.6 million and R$ 5.3 million. The chances of him returning to the street are practically nil — unless someone faces a very ambitious reconstruction.

In the publication in which he confirmed that he was fine, Gordon publicly thanked Ferrari for building, in his words, a car that protects the driver first and foremost.