Discussion
Having some idel thoughts about GT cars at the moment, as a possiblity next year. Always liked the 456, pretty car, and have a huge soft spot for the 612 even though most think it not such a pretty face.
Anyway, need some help with the following questions on the 612, and would welcome comparisons of the 456 and 612 from anyone who has had the fortune to drive / own both...
456 choice would be a late 456M GTM (Manual)
- is the auto still a fun drive?
- are they standing up to corrosion or do I need to be worried about rust?
612 Budget would be around 85k tops relalistically.
-Can I get a good one for that?
-Are they all F1? (I assume so?)
-Does the HGTS pack really make a huge difference to on road driveability? --Are they reliable?
-Should I hang out for a later model with the glass roof or not?
of course I could also look at Granturismo / Bentley CGT, but am hankering for a V12 from Maranello before they make them illegal..
Anyway, need some help with the following questions on the 612, and would welcome comparisons of the 456 and 612 from anyone who has had the fortune to drive / own both...
456 choice would be a late 456M GTM (Manual)
- is the auto still a fun drive?
- are they standing up to corrosion or do I need to be worried about rust?
612 Budget would be around 85k tops relalistically.
-Can I get a good one for that?
-Are they all F1? (I assume so?)
-Does the HGTS pack really make a huge difference to on road driveability? --Are they reliable?
-Should I hang out for a later model with the glass roof or not?
of course I could also look at Granturismo / Bentley CGT, but am hankering for a V12 from Maranello before they make them illegal..
612 was a big step ahead over the 456GT, its night and day in terms of speed and handling. 105 litre fuel tank doing 14mpg is a scary thought with the 612 as i assume you are going to drive it and not using it as a weekend toy.The 612 also has more space and is a real 2+2.
Conti GT and Aston DB9 also a good choice if its a GT that your after.
Boring colour but gives idea of cost - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1330295.htm
Old FifthGear review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGuyHaPolEU
Conti GT and Aston DB9 also a good choice if its a GT that your after.
Boring colour but gives idea of cost - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1330295.htm
Old FifthGear review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGuyHaPolEU
Edited by Wanta996Gotta on Thursday 26th November 16:42
The only reason I haven't upgraded to a 612 is I don't like the looks. It is by far the better driving machine. The 456 is an old skool Ferrari and it shows in pretty much every aspect. I think of it along the same lines as the progression from the 355 to the 430(ish).
Depends on what you want from it Tony. If I want to go for a thrash, I don't take the 456 even though it can bloody shift; mainly because I feel guilty afterwards. It feels a bit like abusing the family pet! Yes, I know it's daft, you don't need to point it out..
Depends on what you want from it Tony. If I want to go for a thrash, I don't take the 456 even though it can bloody shift; mainly because I feel guilty afterwards. It feels a bit like abusing the family pet! Yes, I know it's daft, you don't need to point it out..
Thanks for info 456 (I remember your car from VMAX a while ago - I was running a red 3200GT at the time - v12 sounds fab close up! and I think they look better in red!) Very good to know your opinion of the auto. If I do go down that route then there would be something special about the open gate box so I'd have to spend time finding the right one.
Car will (unfortunately) be a weekend thing, I spend most of my time on trains / planes but not automobiles these days.
My thinking here is that I sometimes need more practicality that the 2 seater I have.
I could get another 'sensible' car, but then we end up with 2 sensible cars and an Aero 8 that does 2k per year - daft.
Possibly a better solution to have a 'technically' sensible car I can use for everything...
Car will (unfortunately) be a weekend thing, I spend most of my time on trains / planes but not automobiles these days.
My thinking here is that I sometimes need more practicality that the 2 seater I have.
I could get another 'sensible' car, but then we end up with 2 sensible cars and an Aero 8 that does 2k per year - daft.
Possibly a better solution to have a 'technically' sensible car I can use for everything...
mr_tony said:
My thinking here is that I sometimes need more practicality that the 2 seater I have.
I could get another 'sensible' car, but then we end up with 2 sensible cars and an Aero 8 that does 2k per year - daft.
Possibly a better solution to have a 'technically' sensible car I can use for everything...
Don't tell me you're considering selling that beautiful Aero 8 mr_tony? I could get another 'sensible' car, but then we end up with 2 sensible cars and an Aero 8 that does 2k per year - daft.
Possibly a better solution to have a 'technically' sensible car I can use for everything...
mr_tony said:
Thanks for info 456 (I remember your car from VMAX a while ago - I was running a red 3200GT at the time - v12 sounds fab close up! and I think they look better in red!) Very good to know your opinion of the auto. If I do go down that route then there would be something special about the open gate box so I'd have to spend time finding the right one.
I remember you and your car very well indeed! In fact I had you in my minds eye as I wrote that stuff. In fact I wasn't after a red one originally, but it was the only manual M for sale in the country at the time, and I wasn't in the mood to wait. Conventional wisdom is go for muted colours on the big V12s, but I'm now of the mind 'sod that'. The only colour I'd prefer is canna de fucile (or something like that), a dark gunmetal colour that suits the shape very well indeed. Good luck & good health whatever you choose.
Kevin
My money would be on the 456. It's of the same generation as the 355, which IMO is on of the best looking generations of all Ferraris.
It will also lose less in depreciation, and I would rather my money went on maintenance keeping a great car great, than just evaporating through depreciation.
It will also lose less in depreciation, and I would rather my money went on maintenance keeping a great car great, than just evaporating through depreciation.
Visually I think the 612 has it hands down - although, those wheels look lost, some chunkier monkeys are required to finish off what I think it a lovely looking GT car....but as mentioned previously, I'd probably look elsewhere too.....I just don't put GT cars and Italian cars in the same boat.....DB9 is a good shout...
Personally, I think the 456 is a beautifully proportioned machine. My only gripe is the wheels are a tad small, but they look great with a set of Novitec's on them. If I needed 4 seats and could only have one Ferrari, I would seriously consider one. Mind you, I would also seriously look at things like a 365 GT 2+2....
I've never driven either car so cannot comment on space or enjoyment, but would echo the sentiment that a 456 will likely depreciate less so is arguably the better ownership proposition.
I've never driven either car so cannot comment on space or enjoyment, but would echo the sentiment that a 456 will likely depreciate less so is arguably the better ownership proposition.
I need some light relief from f
king contracts. This'll do..
Reading between the lines Rich, you want a prestige car with 4 seats. In other words the car is your indulgence, it isn't there to make the kids happy. You obviously know that you're fishing in a small pond here.
Apart from 911s, these 4 seater cars are big 8+ cylinder GT cars and, thinking about it, the principal feature they have is making you feel cosseted. I'm not usually aware that I have the word 'agreeable' in my vocabulary until I get in one of these, but that's the word that best describes it. In my mind, they all have a 'Bentley' feel to them. The world just seems a better place when you're riding around in them. What they're not is hooligan, shouty cars that you take by the scruff of the neck and hurl down your favourite B roads. You can do it, it's just not their forte. I can't really call my children 'kids' any more, but their favourite is also mine- the little 930 turbo. They don't give a fig about prestige, they like small, shouty, laugh out loud performance type cars.
I'd rule out the DB9 straight away if it was me. I ran one for 9 months and while it's a classy car that looks great and sounds great, the rest of it was disappointing. In real world conditions, the 456 kicks it's arse in the every respect. And forget about getting anyone in the rear seats.
The Maserati GT, Cointi GT and new XK8 are possible alternatives. I haven't tried any of them. The Maser looks abspolutely stunning though, which is a great start. All things being equal (ie forget about price for the moment) the question is which of a very small list you would most like to own? Take that position and optimise for other stuff like price, residuals etc. All IMO of course!
king contracts. This'll do..Reading between the lines Rich, you want a prestige car with 4 seats. In other words the car is your indulgence, it isn't there to make the kids happy. You obviously know that you're fishing in a small pond here.
Apart from 911s, these 4 seater cars are big 8+ cylinder GT cars and, thinking about it, the principal feature they have is making you feel cosseted. I'm not usually aware that I have the word 'agreeable' in my vocabulary until I get in one of these, but that's the word that best describes it. In my mind, they all have a 'Bentley' feel to them. The world just seems a better place when you're riding around in them. What they're not is hooligan, shouty cars that you take by the scruff of the neck and hurl down your favourite B roads. You can do it, it's just not their forte. I can't really call my children 'kids' any more, but their favourite is also mine- the little 930 turbo. They don't give a fig about prestige, they like small, shouty, laugh out loud performance type cars.
I'd rule out the DB9 straight away if it was me. I ran one for 9 months and while it's a classy car that looks great and sounds great, the rest of it was disappointing. In real world conditions, the 456 kicks it's arse in the every respect. And forget about getting anyone in the rear seats.
The Maserati GT, Cointi GT and new XK8 are possible alternatives. I haven't tried any of them. The Maser looks abspolutely stunning though, which is a great start. All things being equal (ie forget about price for the moment) the question is which of a very small list you would most like to own? Take that position and optimise for other stuff like price, residuals etc. All IMO of course!
456mgt said:
All things being equal (ie forget about price for the moment) the question is which of a very small list you would most like to own? Take that position and optimise for other stuff like price, residuals etc. All IMO of course!
And there you have it. 
ETA - go test drive all of them. Its half the fun!
Test drives clearly the way forward.
Ideally I'll keep the Aero and end up with a 4 seater, 2+2 and a 2 seater.
Realistically, with the potential for kids on the horizon, my low annual mileage plus the need to have a fun car I actually get to drive, something of this ilk might just be the way forward. We shall see if it is stickable.
Shortlist is therefore
612
456
Continental GT
Maserati Granturismo (S)
Maserati Gransport (just because I loved the 3200 so much and the GranSport still gets amazing reviews)
Ideally I'll keep the Aero and end up with a 4 seater, 2+2 and a 2 seater.
Realistically, with the potential for kids on the horizon, my low annual mileage plus the need to have a fun car I actually get to drive, something of this ilk might just be the way forward. We shall see if it is stickable.
Shortlist is therefore
612
456
Continental GT
Maserati Granturismo (S)
Maserati Gransport (just because I loved the 3200 so much and the GranSport still gets amazing reviews)
mr_tony said:
Test drives clearly the way forward.
Ideally I'll keep the Aero and end up with a 4 seater, 2+2 and a 2 seater.
Realistically, with the potential for kids on the horizon, my low annual mileage plus the need to have a fun car I actually get to drive, something of this ilk might just be the way forward. We shall see if it is stickable.
Shortlist is therefore
612
456
Continental GT
Maserati Granturismo (S)
Maserati Gransport (just because I loved the 3200 so much and the GranSport still gets amazing reviews)
I sold my Porsche 928, and tried 911s, a couple of 456s and a GranSport. I bought the GranSport and it's amazing, my kids love it too and it's a great combination of modern, sensible, fast, headtuning... Loving it so far!Ideally I'll keep the Aero and end up with a 4 seater, 2+2 and a 2 seater.
Realistically, with the potential for kids on the horizon, my low annual mileage plus the need to have a fun car I actually get to drive, something of this ilk might just be the way forward. We shall see if it is stickable.
Shortlist is therefore
612
456
Continental GT
Maserati Granturismo (S)
Maserati Gransport (just because I loved the 3200 so much and the GranSport still gets amazing reviews)
I've had a 456gt for 4 years now and it's still fantastic fun - personally I can't see how anyone can think that a 612 looks better than a 456 - the 456's lines have inspired not only later Ferraris but a whole range of other cars over the last 15 years. The only hard part is the maintenance but given the cars you're looking at I'm sure that won't be a surprise to you. I expect the 612 is a completely different prospect as far as handling goes but (to the amusement of my disbelieving wife) I think the 456 is a nailed-on future classic that represents great value if you're in for the long haul.
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