Wankel-engined Ferrari 456 gets a Nissan Silvia nose transplant

Back in 2020, a car aficionado from New Zealand found a half-rotten Ferrari 456 body out in the open and decided to bring it back to top shape. The result is one of the world’s most bizarre Frankencars with a Mazda rotary engine under the hood and – as of late – a Nissan front end, too.

According to the man behind this build, Reuben Bemrose, he needed the rough equivalent of U.S. $7,800 to get the Italian grand tourer back on the road. That’s honestly impressive given its initial condition. The car needed a new engine, and out of all options out there, Bemrose settled on the dual-rotor Mazda 13B mill. He did not specify the output, but one of his earlier projects is a 1,217-PS (1,200-hp / 895-kW) Subaru Impreza built for drifting, so that should give you an idea.

A few years later, it became clear that the Prancing Horse was still deader than originally assumed. It needed some face surgery to replace the rusted body panels. Once again, rather than contacting Ferrari for originals, Bemrose grafted a Nissan Silvia S14 front to the car. He went as far as to paint the whole in an authentic-looking shade of red and add a bold body kit.

Watch both videos for a detailed overview of this impressive build.