Eurospares
The Ferrari 456: A Timeless V12 Gran Turismo Legacy
Designed by Pietro Camardella at Pininfarina between 1992 and 2003, the Ferrari 456 returned to the front-engine concept for the first time since the 1985 Ferrari 412 with a brand new 65° V12 engine providing extraordinary flexibility and power. The 5.5 liter V12 has proven to be quite reliable and with around 420 horsepower, it delivers a top speed of over 186 mph, which for a short while, was enough to make the 456 the second fastest Ferrari after the F40.
The engine in the 456 also won the “over 4-liter” class of the International Engine of the Year award for 2000 and 2001. The 456 was available in a GT model as a six-speed manual and GTA model as a four-speed automatic which was the second and last conventional hydraulic automatic transmission with torque converter to be offered by Ferrari.
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A new transmission system featuring an all synchromesh six-speed transaxle transmission was the first to be used on a Ferrari Road car. However, the principle of the transaxle, with benefits for weight distribution, isn’t entirely new for Ferrari as previously it had been successfully used on the 275 GTB and Daytona models.
Construction of the 456 used a tubular steel spaceframe and aluminum body panels with a composite hood which were welded together with a special filler called feran, which allows two metals to be welded together. Pininfarina were responsible for the bodywork until 1996 when production then moved to Ferrari.
In 1998, Ferrari unveiled the 456M - M standing for Modificata - with many improvements to aerodynamics and cooling, including a larger grill to help feed more air to the engine. It got a refreshed interior with new seats, fewer gauges on the dash and a new Becker stereo system.
The hood on the 456M was the first application of carbon fiber and included a fixed undercarriage spoiler, compared to the original 456 which had a motorized spoiler that began deployment above 65 mph.
It was the last Ferrari model to use the pop-up headlamps which was liked by famous F1 driver Michael Schumacher who used to own a 456M GT with custom goodies from a catalog of options from the Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalization Program.