Entering production on Tuesday 9th October 2001 and completed eight weeks later Tuesday 4th December 2001,finished in deep metallic blue(Blu Tour de France) with beige hide and dark blue carpets. The Certificate of Conformity or "birth certificate essential and expensive should the car ever be exported- being issued on 10th December 2001, when it was transported to Ferrari UK in Egham Surrey-one of the 33-with four going overseas of which 25 currently remain taxed or SORN’d, with just eight in one of the shades of blue-Tour de France, Le Mans and Swaters-and in turn to Stratstone the Ferrari main dealers, to who it was first registered on Tuesday 30th September 2003 and the start of the three-year warranty. The then list price was £170,358.00 plus delivery, number plates and road tax.

PLEASE CONTACT MIKE WHEELER FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO ARRANGE VIEWING



The car is complete as new with its factory and original service book with stamped services, past MOT’s, handbooks, wallet, and most importantly both sets of keys, all immobilisers including the red.


Ferrari 456M

The 456M, in its GT and automatic gearbox GTA guises, is the evolution of Ferrari’s highly successful interpretation of its traditional 2+2 models. First introduced in 1992, the 456 GT was the marque’s first car designed with the 21st century in mind and has been much appreciated by Maranello’s clients for the way it provides saloon-class comfort and roominess combined with class-leading performance.

A true four-seater coupé, the 456 GT was also the first modern Ferrari to revert to a front engine, rear-wheel drive layout, with the gearbox in unit with the rear differential for ideal weight distribution as well as plenty of space for passengers and luggage.



THE BODY
The GT version of the 456M complete with six-speed plus reverse manual gearbox was an evolution of a model that proved particularly popular with owners that wanted an authentic Ferrari that was still capable of seating four and very versatile to boot.
Continuing the marque tradition in the 2+2 sector, the Pininfarina-designed 456M GT combines the blistering performance of a 5.474 cc V12 with the comfort and liveability of grand tourer. A front-mounted engine and rear-mounted gearbox was the most rational choice to achieve more cabin space and benchmark driveability and safety.
Particular attention was lavished on the car’s aerodynamics yielding a clear front design and involving the adoption a retractable wing integrated into the rear bumper. Front axle life was optimised by the specific shape front bumper spoiler and bonnet as well as work done on the rear diffuser.
THE CHASSIS
The 456 M GT had a tubular steel chassis to which light aluminium panels were spot-welded using a specially treated foil known as Feran. This meant that the chassis had both the lightness of aluminium and the stiffness of steel. To keep weight down, the front bonnet was carbon-fibre.
The four-seater cabin was trimmed in Connolly leather. The seats were electronically adjustable with position memory. The instruments were analogue with multiple gauges. The 456 M GT also sported a fully automatic climate control system with solar radiation sensor, and stereo system.


THE ENGINE
The tubular steel spaceframe chassis was linked to four-wheel independent suspension with stabiliser arms and double wishbones with antidive geometry. The electronically controlled gas dampers had two settings. The Servotronic power-assisted was rack and pinion while the brakes had four ventilated discs with ABS and an electronic rear brake corrector. The car also featured an evolved ASR traction control system linked to the antiskid system which greatly improved safety even in the trickiest of conditions.
The 442 hp 5474 cc front 65° V12 was longitudinally mounted. It had four valves per cylinder with twin overhead cam distribution. The engine management system was the Bosch M5.2. There was also dry single-plate clutch and dry sump lubrication.
The 456M GT had a six-speed plus reverse mechanical gearbox.




The 456M in GT and GTA versions represents the evolution of a model that has always been appreciated by those wanting a four-seater Ferrari with diverse sporting ability. Continuing a Ferrari tradition of 2+2 Berlinetta, the 456M (M means Modified) represents the optimum level between the performance of a 12-cylinder Ferrari and the comfort of a GT car.

With the 456, the quality of the Pininfarina styling was so fine it would have been extremely hard to design the whole car again.

Evolution was chose to improve and refine the mechanical and aerodynamic features, while keeping the successful technical interpretation based on the V12, 442 CV front engine, coupled to a rear transmission unit.

The details needed to produce the 456M have produced aerodynamic and thermal improvements due in part to some style modifications, better comfort and more functional features of the driver’s compartment, a rationalizing of the cabin space, along with an increase in driveability performance, ergonomics and safety.

Modifications

Summary table of the new technical or style features introduced on the 456M:

Bodywork

- Carbon fibre bonnet. The manufacturing of this part is particularly complicated, due to its large dimensions.
- The bonnet has a smooth design, without air outlets, which interrupt the aerodynamic flow.
- The front air intake is larger; fog lights are inside the intake itself.
- When seen from above, the front view is more rounded than the previous model.
- Front indicators are separate from the position lights and placed aside, in a lateral area of the bumper.
- Rear bumper with integrated spoiler, in the lower area, replacing the mobile wing of the previous model. The bumper upper profile houses a moulding, for easier opening of the rear luggage compartment.
- Side window mouldings.
- Wheels with new centre caps depicting a chromium-plated “Cavallino”.
Interior

- Seats with 5 electrical adjustments and position memory (forward-backward, up0down, lumbar adjustment, 2 seat back tilt directions).
- Rear seat comfort and passenger space have been improved.
- Added retractable central armrest.
- Instruments.
- Installation of a multi-function display, detecting operating and emergency information and the outside temperature.
- Newly designed dashboard.
- Under-dashboard console with analogue instruments. They include clock, oil temperature and fuel level indicators.
- Sun radiation sensor.
- More ergonomic gearbox lever position.
- Transmission tunnel with cubbyhole.
- Three-spoke steering wheel.
- Document pockets behind front seats.
- New rear parcel shelf, with integrated rear brake light.
- New Hi-Fi system.
- Reduction of interior noise

Suspension & Brakes

- Suspension system with independent shock absorbers, with two-position calibration system (Normal and Sport).
- Front shock absorbers with low friction co-efficient, with software tuning, designed to get higher driving precision and comfort on uneven roads.
- Rear shock absorbers with stern speed control software.
- New anti-drive geometry to front links, to limit diving.
- Use of the ASR traction control system, with integral ABS and electronic rear braking corrector (EBC).
- Pneumatic brake booster to improve pedal feel under braking.

Engine & Gearbox

- Modified cylinder-firing order, for smoother performance.
- Larger ducts for sending air to the engine compartments.
- Use of hydraulic supports between transmission housing and frame (only GTA version).
- Stiffer transmission frame (only GTA version).
- Stiffer transmission shaft sleeve (only GTA version).

Taken from Ferrari's own website.

History: Brussels, Belgium: Skilfully blending styling and engineering cues from its past, Ferrari unveiled a handsome, powerful and precedent-setting 2+2 just prior to the Paris Auto Show, in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of their Belgian distributor and racing team, Garage Francorchamps. According to Ferrari NA President Gian-Luigi Buitoni: "This is the second model of this car. We actually started four years ago. First, Pininfarina presented a three-volume design, but it was rejected as not being aggressive enough. We wanted something different from the 412i - distinguished, with much more personality."

The result resembles a born-again 365 GTB/4 Daytona, especially from the rear. Ferrari historians will note the intention was not to update the old 365 GTC/4, a sporty, but undistinguished-looking four-seater loosely based on the Daytona, but instead to move closer to a sportier definition. "We have clients today who don't want to give up the performance of a Testarossa, but they must have more room," said Buitoni. "You can sit in the back of this car and not be an infant."

Even with the kids along, 456 GT 2+2 owners sacrifice very little. Under the lightweight, composite bonnet is a new all-alloy 4-cam, 48-valve, 5.5-litre V-12 developing a league-leading 442bhp at 6250rpm. Historians will note that the 456 designation makes a return to Ferrari's traditional model nomenclature. (Each cylinder displaces 456cc; multiply by twelve for 5473.9cc.) The valve covers are gray crackle finished, and the round-oil breathers are reminiscent of those on the old 250/275-series cars.

In order to achieve a low, pancaked bonnet line, the V-12 is dry-sumped. Three separate oil pumps ensure maximum pressure right to its 7250 rpm redline. Special ducting sprays oil to the underside of the alloy pistons for added cooling. The latest Bosch Motronic M2.7 digital injection is lower, and more efficient than a sextet of classic twin-choke Webers, even if its gray, crackle-finished plenum chambers aren't as pretty as the line-up of twelve chromed velocity stacks.
To optimise weight distribution (its 53:47) in a front-engined car, the motor is set back considerably in the tubular steel frame. A flywheel-mounted, single-plate clutch transmits power through a propshaft that's supported with three bearings. The propshaft runs through an elliptically shaped steel torque-tube that is rigidly connected from the clutch to a new six-speed transaxle, then to a ZF mechanical limited-slip differential with plates calibrated to distinguish between drive modes and overrun. To reduce frictional losses when the car is in top gear, sixth is direct drive. A 250 GTO-like polished shifter travels in a traditional Ferrari webbed gate. It is mechanically linked to the transaxle for positive shifting - and in keeping with Ferrari tradition, it probably hates to shift into second until thoroughly warmed up.

Suspension is all independent with parallel wishbones, and coil springs in each corner. Fat stabiliser bars at either end help keep the suspension thoroughly planted. Electronically controlled shock absorbers (like the Mondial T's) offer sport, intermediate and touring settings, but they return immediately to the "hard" setting in an emergency thanks to an ECU and sensors that measure steering angle, shock "bounce" and acceleration. A self-levelling device compensates for the weight of rear seat passengers while maintaining body height and ensuring constant rear suspension geometry.

A chunky, three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel gives orders to ZF "Servotronic" power-assisted, speed sensitive rack and pinion steering. Pressure for the self-levelling system comes from the steering pump. Four huge, ventilated discs handle braking with aluminium callipers; ATE Mark IV ABS brakes are standard. The five-spoke alloy wheels are Daytona-like, and the fat, unequally sized Pirelli P-Zeros artfully fill the 2+2's neatly radiused fenderwells.

The 456 are somewhat lighter and shorter (186.2 in) than the old 412i, thanks to its extensive use of aluminium and initial venture into composites (the bonnet is the first composite part). Pininfarina's subtle styling will last for years. There's a hint of aggressiveness, yet the overall effect is one of veiled strength and function. A flat, sloping bonnet line aids visibility. A bold cut line on each side defines the top edge of a rearward-facing scoop that exhausts engine heat, then gracefully encircles the 456's meaty rear quarters. A moving spoiler, integrated into the rear bumper, is lowered electronically at speeds above 60 mph, to reduce axle lift.

The result is a pleasing C-pillar curvature that is far more coupe-like than is usually achieved with a car that can realistically hold four adults. Shoulder harnesses extend from the front seatbacks. Deep bucket seats front and rear feel very supportive. Bold, readable dials are well located. The crossed Pininfarina flags on the console are reminiscent of the old SuperAmerica.

Taken from Ferrari Market Letter Vol.17 No.22 (October 1992)

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above details, we do not warrant that such details are accurate.


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