2000 Ferrari 456M GT

Few cars, in fact, few Ferraris capture the essence of understated elegance and long-legged performance quite like the 456 GT. 

Re-establishing Ferrari’s credentials as the maker of consummate grand touring cars,

when Pininfarina’s Pietro Camardella penned the 456’s design he took clear inspiration from two twelve-cylinder legends, the 365 GTB/4 Daytona and its four-seat sibling, the 365 GTC/4.

Beautiful, aerodynamic and unostentatious, the 456 GT was Ferrari’s most expensive car when new. It’s long bonnet, short tail, and muscular haunches: the formula familiar, but the result was one of the most refined and balanced Ferrari’s ever built.

Launched in 1992 at Garage Francorchamps’ 40th anniversary celebrations, the Ferrari 456 GT hid beneath its sleek aluminium bodywork an all-new, all-alloy 5.5-litre V12. The first clean-sheet twelve-cylinder from Maranello in over two decades. 

Delivering 442hp at 6,250rpm and 550Nm of torque, it was paired with Ferrari’s halo transmission of the era: the iconic chrome-gated six-speed manual. Unusually, the gearbox was mounted transversely at the rear, a layout that endowed this ultimate GT with near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

All that power delivered to the rear wheels and a glorious, turbine-smooth exhaust note, the 456’s performance is intoxicating. The 0-100km/h sprint is dispatched in just in 5.1 seconds on the way to a 300km/h top speed which, made the 456 GT the fastest 4-door car in the world at the time. Numbers that placed it firmly in supercar territory yet it’s design made it feel supremely composed at any speed.

“the six-speed puts you right into the fat part of the power curve with each upshift and delivers the giddy thrill of spinning the tires hard enough on the 3-4 gear change to bring the "ASR" traction control into effect--at 100 mph! The charge continues right on to the 186-mph top speed, and gets you there in total confidence, thanks to a chassis with titanium-ingot-solid structure.” – Motortrend, 2003

In 1998, Ferrari introduced the 456M GT ‘Modificata’. Subtly evolving the formula with improved aerodynamics, a lighter carbon composite bonnet, revised cooling, improved anti-dive characteristics of the suspension, a smarter ABS/traction-control system, and an even more polished cabin. 

This was to be the final evolution of the model and the best one to own and drive. The Modificata’s engine went on to claim the International Engine of the Year award in the Over 4-litre category for both 2000 and 2001, recognition of Maranello’s mastery of the grand touring V12. 

With only around 600 M manual cars ever built, and roughly 40 built in RHD, finding one is a tall order. These later evolutions are tightly held, particularly now with this era of Ferrari enjoying a renascence in interest and values for the right examples. 

A car familiar to us, offered here is among the most desirable specifications imaginable. Delivered new by Lance Dixon Ferrari, Melbourne in May of 2000, this Ferrari 456M GT is finished in Grigio Titano over a striking two-tone Bordeaux and Black Connolly leather interior. A pairing that perfectly accentuates the 456M’s blend of elegance and performance. 

Most importantly, this car was ordered with the highly prized chrome-gated six-speed manual transmission, one of the most sought-after configurations across the Ferrari range today, with reportedly only two examples reaching Australian shores.

Travelled just 38,000 fully documented kilometres, this car has enjoyed careful long-term ownership with regular use, fastidious maintenance and servicing, evidenced in its complete original log book pack. 

Suffice to say, from a mechanical point of view, this 456M GT is in rude health, having had the all-important cambelt service completed just 2,000 kilometres ago in 2023 by marque specialists Maranello Motorsports, Melbourne. Spending some time behind the wheel during preparation, it’s not hard to see how well-sorted this car feels - a drive over 10 years since our last in this Cavallino and it still feels as fresh. 

A 456 GT whose next owner should not hesitate to use and enjoy as Ferrari intended.

Inside and out, its condition is as you’d expect of a low-kilometre modern classic that has enjoyed a small number of careful owners. In generally excellent condition and showing less than a handful of small stone chips around the nose, the Grigio Titano paintwork carries a brilliant depth of finish, the original Sigla glass is still fitted throughout the rear diffuser still bears its factory satin finish and the cabin fittings and materials are as immaculate as you can hope to find. 

A fascinating footnote: the 456 GT was Ferrari’s last production model to wear pop-up headlights, a detail that now firmly anchors it in the pantheon of modern prancing horse classics. 

More than that, however, the 456M GT represents the final chapter of Ferrari’s traditional front-engined, naturally aspirated V12 2+2s, predating the era of immensely complex electronics that altered Maranello forever.

This superbly prepared Australian delivered, low kilometre, chrome gated manual equipped and fully documented 456M GT combines all the right hallmarks of the ultimate modern classic. Rarity, heritage, and superb usability in equal measure. 

With space for four, genuine Daytona-inspired styling, and the kind of long distance ability that Ferrari intended for the Côte d’Azur, it remains one of the most compelling entry points into legendary front-engined V12 Ferrari ownership. 

One of the marque’s best kept secrets, and a very fine way to get wherever you’re going, this 456M GT is a must experience.