A joyous occasion turned tragic for Japanese musician Honkon when his brand new luxury car worth 43 million yen (approximately $400,000) caught fire just one hour after the collection of the white Ferrari.
Here’s what happened.
From Dream Car to Ashes in Minutes
Honkon, music producer for the six-member Japanese male vocal group Chocolabi, spent his decade-long savings to purchase a luxury car of his dreams valued at over S$400,000.
The vehicle was completely destroyed by fire just an hour after he drove it away from the dealership.
According to reports, police are still investigating the details and cause of the fire.
Honkon said he has lost all confidence in life because the hard-earned savings he accumulated over ten years turned to ashes in just 20 minutes.
He explained that he bought the new vehicle from a luxury car dealership, and while driving, the car suddenly caught fire.
He noticed flames coming from the engine area and quickly pulled over, but the fire grew rapidly. His attempts to extinguish the flames came too late.
In less than 20 minutes, the entire car was consumed by fire. He immediately called the fire department, but by the time they arrived, the car was completely destroyed.
A Shattered Dream
Before purchasing the car, Honkon had posed happily with it, feeling that his dreams had been fulfilled in that moment.
He said it was his first time driving a luxury car, and after less than an hour of driving, the car was gone. The 43 million yen had bought him nothing more than a photograph.
The convertible Ferrari in the photo featured bright red leather seats and red callipers, with a colour scheme that was both understated yet eye-catching. The white body of the car looked quite stylish.
Honkon later shared his heartbreak online: “I don’t know how to continue with life from here. I don’t know if there will be compensation for the burned car. I think I must be the only person to encounter such a problem, with my car completely burned just one hour after collection. What exactly happened?”
From the photos he shared, the blackened sports car caught fire from the rear, with flames covering almost the entire vehicle.
Only the front bumper retained some white paint, while the rest was completely black. Even the car’s windows had all shattered from the heat.