While today’s Nice Price or No Dice 456 may be more a grand tourer than an out-and-out sports car, it still offers V12 power and the panache of the Prancing Horse. Let’s see what we should reasonably be expected to pay for such an opportunity.
The Jackson Five told us that love is as easy as ABC. Mercedes Benz, on the other hand, wanted ABC (as in its Active Body Control) suspension to be a complicated as necessary. Many of you pointed this out as a red flag when considering the 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL 500 we looked at yesterday, warning that costly repairs could loom on a car so equipped and so long out of warranty. A $7,500 asking price proved a siren’s song, however, earning the big coupe a dominating 78 percent Nice Price win for that roll of the dice.
Speaking of dice, today’s 2001 Ferrari 456M GTA is white with black accents, just like a gambler’s cube. How’s that for a segue?
The 456 served as Ferrari’s top 2+2 grand tourer for an entire decade following its 1992 debut. It was a direct replacement for the 412 which need production three years earlier. That was a model that originally debuted as the 365 GT4 in 1972, which means that for over 30 years, Ferrari only had two cars in this category. Over the course of those three decades, fewer than 6,200 cars were built across both designs.
Our car is an M, or Modificata model, which is the later version that could be considered the car’s mid-cycle refresh. The updates to the M over the older 456 are extensive, although generally subtle enough that they need to be pointed out. Two of the most important of those updates involve the engine and the clamshell hood that covers it. The F116 V12 in the 456 is a derivative of the Dino V6 and is engineered with a 65° splay between banks rather than the more common 60°. In the M, that gets a different firing order and revised Bosch fuel injection for smoother running and easier starts.
The 456 nomenclature in the name indicates a single cylinder’s displacement, which, when multiplied by 12, gives us the engine’s 5.5-liter size. In both earlier and later cars, that’s good for 436 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, which can push the nearly two-ton coupe to sixty in a tick over five seconds. In its day, this was one of the fastest four-seaters on the planet.
Also noteworthy, the hood on the M is carbon fiber, replacing the plastic clamshell on the previous 456. That’s notable for being the first time that carbon fiber had been used on a road car in such a manner. Finally, this is Ferrari’s last car to employ pop-up headlamps until the modern Daytona SP3.
We should acknowledge the A part of the GTA tag on the model’s name. That signifies this to be an automatic transmission car, the shifts-itself box being a four-speed of traditional design sourced from FF Developments. For those whose only purpose in buying a Ferrari is the visual and visceral appeal of the marque’s iconic gated manual shifter, that could be a deal killer.
For the rest of us, there’s a lot to like here. The car is offered through a consignment seller, which means it’s like a ‘friends with benefits’ sale. Not only does the 456 come with a clean title, but also all the original manuals, tools, and—perhaps most interesting—its fitted luggage. There are 38,169 miles on the clock, and the seller notes a fairly recent (and likely crazy expensive) belt service on the engine. The ad boasts that the car is “Very nice” saying it “runs and drives very nice,” with the drivetrain and suspension feeling “excellent.”
The paint is said to make this a solo example in the U.S., and the black stripe is claimed to be an add-on that is easily removable. Another aftermarket goodie is the Alpine stereo, which stands in for the stock Becker. The wheels are factory Ferrari but are taken from a contemporary 550 Maranello. They look, as the seller might say, very nice.
Overall, this is a very tidy package. It shows a bit of age in the cabin and suffers from the dreaded “automatic-itis.” As such, it’s one of 650 456Ms plagued, a little less than half the model’s total production. Would you pay $69,500 for the opportunity to own it?
That’s the asking price, and before we delve into the logic of such a purchase, just think about the emotional aspect of it. This is a V12 Ferrari for the price of… oh, I don’t know, two Camrys? Whatever the illogical comparison, owning a V12 Ferrari is a dream for many, and at its asking price, this one seems within reach. But is it a deal?
What do you say? Is $69,500 a fair price for this 456M as it’s been described? Or, for that much, would you consign it to the no-sale bin?
You decide!
Facebook Marketplace out of Seattle Washington, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Bill Lyons for the hookup!
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