I have a deathly fear of roller coasters. Somehow, unlike all the other parental cautionary tales I chose to ignore, something about my mother’s “circus rides are deathtraps” warning struck pay dirt and, as a consequence of their overly fertile premonitions, I have never, ever been on a circus ride. No roller coasters. No ferris wheels. Not even one of those precious little spinning teacups used to placate the under-sixes who fail to meet the “this tall to ride” requirements at the entrance of the scary rides. Not once. Not ever.
This made my visit to Abu Dhabi’s Ferrari World a tad problematic. Although its main marketing message is that it is the world’s biggest indoor theme park, the 86,000-square-metre facility located in the middle of Yas Island – also home to the Yas Marina Formula One racetrack – is most famous for boasting the fastest roller coaster in the world. At its peak, Formula Rossa is claimed to have a top speed of 240 km/h, which would, in and of itself, be scary enough were it not made even worse by the fact that it also accelerates to 100 km/h in under two seconds. That’s 1.7 Gs, folks. Identical to the acceleration that launches jets off aircraft carriers.
Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi.
Handout, Ferrari World
Normally, I’d just chicken out. I can handle all the “big ‘fraidy cat” taunts – and worse – that I have endured over the years. But, convinced there’s a story in this, it’s now impossible to duck the featured ride, no matter how distinct the possibility of soiled trousers. I should mention that my son, Matthew, is having a ball with this – retribution, he says, for the decade or so he endured being labeled my “basement troll.”
I’d like to report that I somehow conjured up the courage to face my deepest fear with something approaching self-possession and equanimity. But the truth is, for the longest 45 seconds of my life, sounds came out of my mouth that would embarrass a five-year-old girl. Within 10 feet of being launched by the very same hydraulic mechanicals aircraft carriers use to propel jets, my eyes are firmly shut. And, just in case my eyelids inadvertently opened due to the incredible G-forces, I covered my eyes with my hands.
You know all those media photographs of crash survivors kissing terra firma in gratitude – the ones that we all suppose were staged specifically for the camera? Well, I can officially report they’re not. The worst — short duration, at least — experience of my life necessitated more than a few Thank Gods from a seriously lapsed Protestant. Matthew, of course, was having the time of his life, unable to decide which provided more entertainment: 240 km/h of thrills and centrifugal force or the evident discomfort of the father who had always billed himself as rough, tough and hard-to-bluff.
Said thrills (thankfully not the spills) of the Formula Rossa were actually necessary for us to get the full Ferrari experience, despite the fact we borrowed a 660-horsepower FF for our day trip to Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates may be the most boring place in the entire world to drive a car — doubly so if you happen to be a V12-powered Ferrari that has a top speed in excess of 330 km/h. The Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road, for example, from Abu Dhabi to Yas Island is straight enough to make our prairie-traversing TransCanada seem twisty. Not even the gentlest of bends to test the FF’s tenacious hold on tarmac.
The Ferrari FF was a gentle ride compared to the Ferrari World roller coaster.
David Booth, Driving
Worse yet, there are speed cameras every few kilometres, perhaps the greatest density of photo radar anywhere in the world. Indeed, the combination of overpowered Ferrari and extra-diligent digital constabulary made for one of the strangest motoring experiences in my career. You see, in the UAE, most of your Ferrari owners – a wealthy lot as you might imagine – just ignore the speed limits and pay whatever fines they might amass, their Petrodollars shrugging off something so inconsequential as a few thousand dollars worth of speeding tickets. In fact, some enterprising petro-sheiks simply have specific credit card accounts that automatically pay their monthly fines.
My clogging the slow lane with the big FF, however, caused some serious consternation among the Toyota Camry-driving locals. They, never having seen a Ferrari actually obeying the speed limit, became suspicious that some nefarious plot was afoot and, in a land where the power of the emir, and by association his minions, is absolute, they were a little wary.
Ferrari FF
David Booth
So disconcerting was the vision of a Ferrari cruising at barely 120 km/h, their Toyotas and Nissans would sneak up on us surreptitiously for the meekest of stares. Or they would become so discombobulated they would pull over on the nearest off-ramp to wait me out. The quizzical, confused and generally suspicious looks on the faces of my fellow motorists was the only thing that made the otherwise incredibly tedious job of keeping a Ferrari on a 120 km/h leash even remotely bearable. Thank God I only had to endure it for an hour.
Also blessed was Ferrari World’s Karting Academy, which let me recapture just a hint of my pride (it also mimicked the real Maranello experience far more than my FF test drive). In fact, the electrically-driven karts faithfully mimicked Ferrari’s best models, albeit at a much reduced pace. Literally useless at low speeds because of understeer, the little karts – just like any full-size Ferrari – suddenly turned into razor-sharp race cars as soon as you leaned hard on the gas.
Hammer the throttle and the front end stuck like glue, the rear end coming around in perfectly controlled slides. What had seemed, under timid throttle, like an impossibly slippery track (I crashed in all of the first three corners I attempted) turned into a grippy Spa-Francorchamps when driven con-brio. The former basement troll, to his credit since he has no real track experience to speak of, got the hang of it right away and finished less than a second behind. Yet more embarrassment!
Of course, not everything about Ferrari World is death-defying speed. The motif being Italian and the brand Ferrari, there’s plenty of romance for those desiring a slower pace. Bell’Italia features scaled models of Ferrari’s ’58 250 California winding through a surprisingly realistic tour of Italy’s highlights – picturesque Portofino, the Roman Coliseum and the canals of Venice. And for the kids, there’s Junior GT and GP go-karts, their speed tailored for those barely out of diapers.
The kids’ track at Ferrari World.
David Booth, Driving
I have to admit, those were probably more my speed. Even the animated roller coaster, Speed of Magic, whose entire sensation of velocity relied on visual intimations of a real roller coaster, had my stomach doing backflips. Six-year-olds in the same train were giggling, newborns were cradled calmly in their mothers’ arms. My son shrunk away from me in disgust.
I can’t even watch a 3D cartoon of Wile E. Coyote versus the Road Runner without turning pale. So much for being a man of speed.
Ferrari World’s Rides and Attractions (in descending order of scariness)
- Formula Rossa: The world’s fastest rollercoaster is powered by the same kind of hydraulic winch system used to launch jet planes, hitting 100 km/h in less than two seconds on its way to a top speed of 240 km/h.
- Karting Academy: Ferrari World’s newest attraction, Karting Academy is one of the world’s few electric powered go-kart tracks: 290 metres with 80 km/h go-karts for the most authentic indoor go-karting experience in the world.
- Fiorano GT Challenge: Not as fast as the Formula Rosso, the GT Challenge actually is two roller coasters racing each other around hairpin turns.
- Speed of Magic: A kid-friendly adventure of a young boy travelling 3D dreamscapes from deep green jungles to icy caves in the pursuit of ‘Nello,’ a mischievous animated character from another world. Yes, this was too scary for the author!
- Viaggio in Italia: A video presentation, inspired by the famous Mille Miglia, takes you over Italy’s countryside and cityscapes. The ride glides over the famous Fiorano Circuit in Maranello, through picturesque Venice, Tuscany, Lago Maggiore, Passo della Futa Florence, Portofino, Rome, Dolomite Mountains, Costa Amalfitana and Capri with sounds, aromas and special effects bringing the original Mille Miglia rally to life.
- Bell’Italia: Miniature Italian cityscapes and structures seen from the seat of a small-scale 250 California Spider, Bell’Italia features the Monza racetrack, the canals of Venice and, of course, Maranello, the home of Ferrari.
- Scuderia Challenge: A state-of-the-art simulator — based on the professional training simulators used by the Scuderia Ferrari drivers — recreates the F1 experience racing around the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, with up to eight drivers racing each other.
- Junior GT/GP: Ferrari World’s driving school for children features child-sized F430 GT Spiders that four- to six-year-olds can navigate through roundabouts, traffic signals and road signs. After being presented with their own personalized Ferrari driving license from the Junior GT School, children can enroll in the Junior Grand Prix, a racing school for young drivers with instruction for braking and hairpins
- Tyre Twist: A classic family tea-cup style ride that sees visitors of all ages twist themselves silly inside giant tires while they whirl their way around an oversized turntable. The author enjoyed this one!
