Kids Used A Ferrari 488 As A Playground. Now Their Parents Are Being Sued

It's every supercar owner's nightmare. A Ferrari owner in China returned from a business trip to discover his prized 488 GTB had been scratched and damaged after four young children climbed all over it and used it as a makeshift playground. The owner initially tried to resolve the matter privately, but after the children's parents refused to cover the full cost of repairs, he decided to take the dispute to court.

Caught On Camera

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/X1J7xR6d0jk

The incident reportedly took place in late May in Kunming, China, where footage showed four boys, all believed to be under the age of 10, climbing onto the parked Ferrari. The children could be seen sitting on the windscreen, walking across the roof, sliding down the rear glass and even poking the car with long bamboo poles.

According to the owner, the Ferrari suffered scratches to the bonnet, roof, fenders, taillights and windows, while the front bumper was also cracked. Reports by the South China Morning Post state that the owner originally considered taking the car to an official Ferrari dealership, where repairs would have exceeded 100,000 yuan ($14,700). Instead, he opted for an independent workshop that used aftermarket parts, reducing the bill to 29,360 yuan ($4,300).

Parents Refused To Pay

Despite opting for the cheaper repair route, the parents reportedly offered only 5,000 yuan ($736) in compensation and, according to the owner, "never voluntarily brought the children to apologize." That prompted him to file a civil lawsuit seeking the full cost of repairs. South China Morning Post reports that Chinese law leaves civil action as the primary avenue for recovering damages in cases involving children under 14.

One Of Ferrari's Last V8s

The Ferrari 488 GTB remains one of the brand's most desirable modern supercars. Introduced in 2015, the 488 GTB succeeded the 458 Italia and was the second-last mid-engined V8 Ferrari before the company replaced the F8 Tributo with the hybrid-powered 296 GTB. Today, used examples typically change hands for the mid to high $200,000 range. However, the South China Morning Post values this particular 488 GTB at a staggering 3.6 million yuan ($530,000).

Ironically, had this happened to Ferrari's recently unveiled Luce EV, the youngsters could have slipped straight through the dramatic aerodynamic tunnel carved into the front end instead. Ferrari recently confirmed that all 88 examples allocated to China have already sold out despite criticism surrounding the model's styling.

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