A SORDID tragedy involving a 20-something playboy, two scantily-clad women and a two-seater Ferrari has once again exposed the Communist Party's challenges in hiding its dirty laundry in the information age.

The black Ferrari 458 Spider, reportedly bought for close to $1 million, was travelling so fast along Beijing's North Fourth Ring Road that it split in two when it smashed into the Baofusi Bridge about 4am on Sunday, March 18.

The wreckage of a Ferrari which exploded into flames after a crash in Beijing that allegedly killed Ling Jihua, the son of Hu Jintao's political fixer, and two semi-naked women.

A photograph of the tangled, smouldering engine block - resting far from the main car body - was published in the Beijing Evening News and immediately spread across the internet. The paper reported the driver was killed and two female passengers seriously injured.

But what might have been a tale of unbridled wealth and power quickly became one of political intrigue when propaganda authorities blocked relevant search terms including ''Ferrari'' and refused to confirm the driver's name.