Given that this is the UAE there had to be a silly record too, and in this case it’s that the roof has the world’s largest Prancing Horse. But don’t let such gimmicks fool you for it must have been a monumental task putting said roof over such a vast area, all in a matter of just three years. Made from metal and glass, over 12,370 tonnes of steel were used to reinforce the structure (the Eiffel Tower only needed a mere 7,000 tonnes) and it was all in aid of coolly housing the 20-odd Ferrari-inspired rides and attractions. Ferrari chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, described the park as combining “innovative technology and tradition. It is dedicated not only to Ferrari fans and car enthusiasts, but to the whole family; there are attractions for kids, men and women. It has also the real touch of Ferrari: how things really are for us, with our exclusive GT road cars and racing cars, but also our history and our cultural background.”
For the Bespoke team, who had the privilege of trying out the park before even a single member of the public had been allowed in, the crown jewel of the entire project is the fastest roller coaster in the world, called Formula Rossa. It’s shaped like a Formula One car, and it goes like one too. Sprinting to 100km/h in just two seconds, it’ll hit a maximum speed of 240km/h before tearing you around a circuit that exerts 4.8G’s on your body. There are no loop-the-loops but the ride is so fast that people don’t even know how to react: not a single raising of the arms or even a scream. In fact there was barely a whisper until the very end when the coaster hits the brakes hard enough for your contact lenses to fall out (hence why the hard of vision must wear goggles). At that point those on the ride became so delirious with emotions that they screamed and wailed to the point it’s hard to tell if they liked it or hated it. We loved it.
The next best thing is the state-of-the-art Formula One simulator within the Scuderia Challenge area. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill because you get to virtually race a Formula One car on the Yas Marina Circuit, but from the vantage point of being strapped in to a genuine F1 car, with a real steering wheel and all. The car is suspended in the air so it’ll dip forward when you brake and push back when you accelerate and you literally feel as if you’re actually handling all 950bhp, with your senses attuned to even minor sensations such as the vibrations of driving over a kerb.
After those, there’s a bunch of less extraordinary attractions, some of which are interesting (like the Galeria Ferrari, an interactive Ferrari museum) and some of which are bizarre (like the V12, which is a journey through the body of a Maranello engine). Of course, the park includes a number of rides for children, as well as informative areas that explain the history of the brand, its culture and the champions that helped make it the legend it is today.
You will pretty much cover everything in a day - you’ll be tired and famished but there are plenty of choices of dining experiences, two of which have a more profound significance: Mamma Rossella is an extension to the famous family restaurant in Maranello that Ferrari drivers and management frequent. The other is Cavallino, which (besides being Enzo Ferrari’s favourite eatery) was the first restaurant to open next to the Ferrari factory back in the 1940s. Oh and before you leave, you should check out the Ferrari Store where you can buy just about every branded product you can imagine. After that we recommend you enjoy an early night, you’ll have deserved it.
WHAT Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
OWNER Aldar Properties PJSC, Abu Dhabi’s leading property developer
ENTRANCE Costs 225 AED (62 USD) for an adult and 45 USD for kids (defined as anyone under 1.5 metres tall)
WHY It’s a great tourist attraction for the city of Abu Dhabi and the first time a car manufacturer makes a foray into theme parks. And did we mention it’s the biggest indoor park in the world?
www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com
