Ferrari World theme park opens to public

Today the first Ferrari theme park opened in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, featuring rides for adults and children keen to experience some of the Maranello magic.

Ferrari World representatives claim it is the largest indoor amusement park in the world. It sits underneath a 3000-square-metre red roof with a sleek design intended to evoke the profile of Ferrari's road cars. The largest Ferrari logo in the world is painted on top of the roof.

The most notable ride is the Formula Rossa, a roller coaster that accelerates to 100km/h in two seconds, faster than any Ferrari production car, and reaches a top speed of 240km/h.

Passengers are required to wear safety goggles on the Formula Rossa (above) ride.

V12 (not pictured) is possibly the oddest amusement park ride ever conceived, a flume through a representation of the Ferrari 599's 12-cylinder engine.

A description on the Ferrari World website says, "Hang on as you splash past the churning cylinders and shoot down the differential of the engine towards the exhaust pipe." Sound effects on the ride are intended to simulate the exhaust note of a Ferrari engine.

The park includes a number of rides for children, such as the Junior Grand Prix. In this attraction, kids take the wheel of a scaled-down F1 car, piloting it around a course comprised of straightaways, hairpin turns and tunnels.

For something a little more sedate, Bell'Italia (above) provides a trip through the Italian countryside, in miniature.

Before driving the Junior Grand Prix, children will have to watch a Junior GP training film.

An adult price ticket to the park costs 225 UAE dirhams (AU$63).

Via CNET US