From very early in Ferrari’s history, four seat sports cars were part of their model lineup. Usually filling the spot as the most expensive car in the brand’s portfolio, these 2+2 coupes were the cars of choice for the well heeled who also had a family- even Enzo Ferrari was known to favor the 2+2 cars when choosing a company car. The 456 is part of a long line of elegant 2+2 V12 Ferraris, and was a major turning point for the company, representing the first of the modern V12 Ferraris. When it was introduced in 1992, the 456 was on the cutting edge in terms of both its technology and performance, an all new V12 engine, made the 456 Ferrari’s most powerful road-going V12 to date, and was paired for the first time with a 6-speed gearbox which was mounted at the rear. This marked the first time in Ferrari history that a 4 seat car was equipped with a transaxle- a feature normally reserved for the two seat cars due to space constraints. With its 192 mph top speed, the 456 was the fastest 4-seat car available at the time, and was only marginally slower than Ferrari’s top of the line supercar at the time- the 512TR. The car represented a quantum leap forward for Ferrari in speed, refinement and advanced technology with the integration of on the fly adjustable shock absorbers, traction control and electronic stability control. Midway through the 456’s life it was updated to create the 456M (modificata), which employed a new front fascia including carbon fiber hood, revised engine, and updated interior to modernize the styling in a fashion more consistent with the interior of the 550.