Kiwi engineer who found the V12-less 456 wreck rotting in a field has updated the build with a Nissan Silvia front end
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by Chris Chilton
2 hours ago
- An engineer from New Zealand has grafted a Nissan Silvia S14 nose onto a Ferrari 456.
- He previously swapped a Mazda rotary into the damaged, abandoned Ferrari.
- Owner’s other projects include a Subaru Impreza with a 1,200 hp Toyota 2JZ inline six.
Is this the world’s most mixed-up Ferrari? What started life as a V12-powered 456 grand tourer now has a Nissan S14 face to go with its crazy Mazda rotary engine swap. Oh yeah, and a stunning coat of custom red paint to match the faces of furious Ferrari fans with an obsession for originality.
We first covered this Ferrari mash-up back in 2020, telling the story of how a Kiwi engineer had found the 456 GT abandoned in a field, where it had been sitting for around six years with front-end damage. Reuben Bemrose bought the wreck for $1,500 NZ ($900), dropped a naturally-aspirated Mazda 13B rotary between the Ferrari’s shock towers and put the mutant back on the road, claiming the entire project cost him just $13,000 NZ ($7,800).
More: Watch A Ferrari V8-Powered Subaru WRX STI As It Conquers A Rally Stage
Bemrose, who goes by @lord.bemrose on Instagram, and previously built a 1,200 hp (1,217 PS) 2JZ-powered Subaru Impreza, had some fun with his creation, taking part in drift events and generally attracting lots of attention, both positive and negative.
But the car looked rough and ready, with a simple frame built around the nose to protect the engine and locate the hood, and it suffered both fire- and panel damage while out on the track.
Now, however, it looks stunning in its custom red paint job. Though that’s definitely not the most eye-catching thing about the 456’s latest incarnation, which includes a twin-turbo rotary update. That would be the Nissan Silvia S14 front-end conversion that, judging from old Instagram posts, started taking shape during 2022, before the whole car was painted the following year.
The one-piece, homemade fiberglass clamshell hood contains an industrial-size vent at its center and the S14’s slim bank of fixed headlights work surprisingly well with the Ferrari body. You might even say it makes a car lauded as one the most beautiful ever designed when it was launched in the early 1990s even better, because the 456‘s stock nose looks soft and dated to 2024 eyes.
We doubt Ferrari would agree, and we also doubt the factory is impressed with the use of its badges on the front and side of the car’s hood. But earlier stories that Ferrari had issued a cease and desist letter to Bemrose turned out to be false – although the two parties were in contact – and there’s no sign that Bemrose is under pressure to de-badge his build now.
