Ferrari performance for $10,000

"Stephen Rivers" (stephenrivers) 11/15/2019 at 09:01 • Filed to: Ferrari, Chrysler, AMG, Mercedes, Power, Horsepower, SRT, 456, Supercharger

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The Ferrari 456. Don’t remember it? You aren’t the only one. The 456 was produced from 1992 - 2003 and sold a little over 3000 units. Until 96’ it was their premier grand touring car and even after that offered a great option for those wanting a little less flash and a bit more comfort than the 550 Maranello. Today the 456 has been widely relegated to the history books and forgotten despite classic simple styling and a powerful V12 . That V12 is regarded as reliable these days for a Ferrari and propelled the car to 60 in 5 seconds and then onto a top speed of over 170mph.

In searching for one you’ll note that the least expensive examples are trading around the 50-thousand mile range. Most of them will have over 35,000 miles typically. They’re not all bad though because often times the more miles you put on a Ferrari the more reliable it can be. Keep in mind the old adage is that the cheapest Ferrari is never really the cheapest Ferrari so you’ll want to avoid the really rough stuff. To find a well sorted and maintained car we’re now working our way into the 70-thousand dollar range. That’s not a terrible deal if you’re in the market for a 2+2 and a prancing horse is the only marquee you’ll have, however what if I told you that you could get most everything we’ve described above for $10,000 or less.

In 2004 just as the 456 was leaving production Chrysler and Mercedes made maybe their most underappreciated baby. The Crossfire SRT-6 is an AMG powered SLK32 in Chrysler clothing. The M112 motor under the hood is supercharged and produces 330 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to propel the SRT-6 to 60 in the same 5 seconds it takes the Ferrari. In addition the SRT models can reach a top speed of 174 when the top speed limiter is removed.

The goodness doesn’t stop there either. The Crossfire SRT only sold just over 3700 in it’s 2 year run and less than 1500 of them are the hardtop version. This would mean that you’re driving a car more rare than the 456 regardless of if you have the convertable or the coupe because it takes both combined to reach that 3700 number. Additionally that supercharged mill is well known for its reliability. This was the last vehicle that used the M112 and so it had been well refined by this time.

The interior is actually well appointed with leather and alcantara. The plastic bits that do exist aren’t off-putting the same way they are in a Mercedes of the same time period. The center console is well laid out and flows from in front of you to the armrest. The only available transmission is an automatic mill from Mercedes that is adaptive so as you drive it, it will learn your style and adjust it’s behavior to better suit you. This is of course something you can reset whenever you like if you’d prefer a more aggressive shift pattern from time to time after babying the car.

This thing was in a weird place when it came out. It cost more than the inexpensive little roadsters running around but was more powerful. It cost less than the real power house coupes of the day but wasn’t as capable. Today though it’s come into its own. It’s easy to find one right around $10,000 in great condition. Better yet, when you do need to maintain it, it’s just not nearly as rough as the Ferrari. So there you have it. Ferrari 456 performance and rarity. Unique and memorable styling. Reliable power and the flexibility to tune it for more. It really is an exceptional deal for those who value these things more than being in debt to have a prancing horse on the bonnet.

This is the first of a group of articles about comparing very fast and hard to obtain performance vehicles to great value options in the market today. How did you like it? What should I call the series? I’m a bit stumped on that.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 09:32

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The 456 has a V12. It’s on my radar since decent examples with a stick are still under 100k on a regular basis so you can get nearly 550 maranello performance and driving on the cheap.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 09:33

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I see you must frequent BaT.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-ferrari-456-gt-8/

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 11/15/2019 at 09:38

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V12 and far better looking to boot.

boredalways > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 09:55

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DAMN YOUR BAIT AND SWITCH...so, um...what will you offer as an alternative to the 612 Scagli etti?

Stephen Rivers > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 11/15/2019 at 10:06

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Don’t know how I got that wrong. Thank you!!!

Stephen Rivers > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 11/15/2019 at 10:07

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Subjective but I do personally prefer the Ferrari styling. 

arl > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 10:14

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I had kind of forgotten about the Crossfire. I haven’t seen one in forever. Or maybe I have and just didn’t notice it.

The SRT version was a handsome car.

Stephen Rivers > boredalways 11/15/2019 at 10:20

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If I make my second entry into this kind of article about the 612 you better be back in the comments! lol

QCGoose > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 10:20

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The 456GT is my favorite Ferrari 2+2. Elegant and extremely understated styling, I don’t see anything from Maranello’s future replacing it from the top of the heap .

Stephen Rivers > QCGoose 11/15/2019 at 10:20

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That new Roma though... 

Thisismydisplayname > boredalways 11/15/2019 at 10:37

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I’ve been bamboozled, hood winked, lied to.....

boredalways > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 10:42

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Enginerrrrrrrrr > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 11:08

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Definitely an interesting series - especially if you’re comparing two used cars that came out in the same period.

Unfortunately for the Crossfire:

duurtlang > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 11:29

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LOL. Nope.

You could also get a Camry V6. Almost the same thing as well.

But let us look into this a bit further:

Subject 1, looks:

I will admit that the automatically disqualifying chrome wheels of the Chrysler in this picture can be swapped for something less nasty. But even if you do, it is still a very very clear win for the Ferrari. Ferrari: 1. Chrysler: 0

Subject 2, interior:

The Ferrari interior is far more attractive. And that is even ignoring the silver painted plastic in the Chrysler, which is making me cringe. Ferrari: 2. Chrysler: 0

Subject 3, engine:

V12 versus supercharged V6. No contest. Ferrari: 3. Chrysler: 0

Subject 4, transmission:

Gated manual versus slushbox. Automatic win for the Ferrari. Ferrari: 4. Chrysler: 0

Subject 5, Sound:

I don’t have the patience to look for sound clips, but I think it’s safe to give this to Ferrari. Ferrari: 5. Chrysler: 0

So even if Chrysler is similarly rare and similarly quick , the cars are just in a totally different galaxy. Incomparable.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > boredalways 11/15/2019 at 11:55

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Chevy Cobalt SS! 

Stephen Rivers > duurtlang 11/15/2019 at 12:02

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But you just..... compared them..... I mean I know I did it first but again, I’m comparing performance... and in that realm they’re very very close to identical. 

duurtlang > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 12:20

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True. They also both have 4 wheels.

QCGoose > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 13:17

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I can’t say I’m in love with the Roma yet, especially from just the renders, but it’s absolutely a step in the right direction IMO.

I remember HATING the 612 Scaglietti when it was in production, thinking it was TOO bland and that the front end looked simply doofy with the pontoon fenders and akward front end.

Now, thanks to the overwrought designs of basically all their current cars, I love the simplicity and restraint of the 612's design and long for a return to such a look being "normal" again.

Hoccy > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 13:45

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+

= Crossfire interior

Stephen Rivers > Hoccy 11/15/2019 at 14:00

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Honestly I think the silver looks better. The Merc interior looks like they just didn’t try at all. 

Stephen Rivers > arl 11/15/2019 at 14:00

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Agreed

Hoccy > Stephen Rivers 11/15/2019 at 14:17

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Not saying that it was bad, only quite obvious.

Mercedes did try harder, but usually ended up adding fake wood inserts instead...

Stephen Rivers > Hoccy 11/15/2019 at 14:50

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Haha, true true

SmugAardvark > Enginerrrrrrrrr 11/15/2019 at 15:56

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Can’t unsee...

Grindintosecond > QCGoose 11/29/2019 at 10:20

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This is my case for Ferrari to embark on a small 4 liter v12 roadster, like back in the day. With motorcycle tech showing a potential 11k redline in a road car with near 500hp , the intoxicating noise alone would sell the car! A new 250 gto. Their engines sold the car before..

Now their marketers do. Which sucks. 456 is on my radar. In blue. I honestly do not lust after any ma ss produced contemporary Ferraris from 360 onwards. 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Hoccy 12/02/2019 at 09:05

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Our wood is real. But yeah, it can look cheap.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Stephen Rivers 12/02/2019 at 09:09

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I missed this one before. But again, no. SLK32 would be better. No one will work on your crossfire because it's the proverbial redheaded stepchild (which is a shitty saying, but whatever). Still not cheap to own. If you like these, then consider the C32, but if you like those then the C55 is better. And if you like that, then a 210 E55 is best. I'm biased there but again, whatever.