Ferrari introduced the 456 in 1992 as its top-of-the-range model, bringing joy to customers who wished to drive the Italian GT vehicle daily.
With the 456, the Italian carmaker returned to the grand touring car market, offering a classic front-engine with a rear-wheel drive system. Its only flaw was that it was available exclusively with a manual gearbox. An excellent one, nevertheless, but still a three-pedal car.
If someone should imagine how a GT car should look, the 456 GT is one of the best, if not the best, example ever made. With its narrow front end and pop-up headlights and the lower, smiling grille integrated into the apron, Ferrari's flagship of the early '90s became a top seller. It was penned in Pininfarina studio by Pietro Carmadella. He made an aerodynamic shape with a wide windshield and a classic greenhouse design. Behind the front fenders, the designer carefully concealed a pair of exhaust vents for the air trapped inside the wheel wells. The traditional round taillights were replaced by oval ones at the back, while a quad exhaust peaked through the rear bumper.
Inside, the car featured two bucket seats at the front and a bench in the back. Of course, it was not that wide or roomy to comfortably accommodate two passengers. However, they were still there and used as an extra storage area. The carmaker left only two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer in the instrument cluster, plus the odometer. The rest of the control gauges were moved on the center stack while the sound system was mounted on the center console behind the gear stick.
Under the hood, Ferrari placed a naturally aspirated V12 powerplant. The Italian carmaker offered the automatic transmission only in 1996 before refreshing the lineup in 1997.