Khaleej Times

Rollercoas­ter ride...Ferrari style

- — Anjana Sankar

abu dhabi — Calling all adrenalin junkies. Here’s some news to get your heart beating — quite literally.

Turbo Track, the latest mega-rollercoas­ter to hit the hugely popular Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, is undergoing safety trial runs ahead of its March opening.

With a tagline dubbing it the most ‘heart-pounding rollercoas­ter ride in the world’, Turbo Track (or TT) will propel a car at 102kph along a 180m steel track, catapultin­g guests vertically through the iconic red roof of the theme park.

Reaching a height of 64m, riders will then plunge back down to earth, with their heart most likely in their mouth.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Jesse Vargas, general manager at Ferrari World, said TT will live up to the Ferrari heritage.

“Its storyline and technology are deeply connected to the heritage. The ride will offer guests a rare ex- perience and chance to see the world through the eyes of a Ferrari test pilot”.

abu dhabi — Turbo Track, the latest mega-roller coaster to hit Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is undergoing safety trial runs ahead of its March opening.

Dubbed the most ‘heart-pounding roller coaster ride in the world’, Turbo Track or TT will shoot a car at 102km/h along a 180m steel track, and catapult guests vertically through the iconic red roof to a 64m height, before plunging them back at zero gravity.

The sight and the ear-shattering noise of the turbo-charged cars loaded with water-filled dummies shooting through the park’s central roof are already triggering curiosity among park visitors.

“I cannot wait to try this ride. I think it is going to be a spine-chilling experience, said John Williams, a British tourist.

Adnan Alzabi, a self-confessed adrenaline junky said what excites him most is the zero gravity plunge. “That is a rare feature. I want to experience that free fall,” said Alzabi.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Jesse Vargas, general-manager at Ferrari World said Turbo Track will live up to the Ferrari heritage.

“Its storyline and technology are deeply connected to the Ferrari Heritage. The ride will offer guests the rare experience and chance to see the world through the eyes of a Ferrari test pilot,” said Vargas.

The ride consists of two cars, (each with a capacity of six guests), that can be loaded simultaneo­usly. “The ride is designed to have both front facing and rear-facing seats that will offer guests two different kinds of experience. The emphasis is on the family experience when you sit face-to-face on the ride,” added Vargas.

Turbo Track’s inaugurati­on makes it the third ride to be unveiled at the park in just 12 months, following the opening of Flying Aces and Benno’s Great Race last year.

Vegas said TT is a monumental feat of engineerin­g, which followed a highly complex constructi­on process that saw a hole created right at the heart of the Park. The design team included Intamin Amusements Rides of the Flying Aces fame, and architectu­ral firm, AECOM.

Though Vargas did not reveal the exact design and constructi­on cost, he said a total of Dh700 million have been invested over the past three years for the Park’s expansion plan.

“As of today, we have a total of 35 rides and attraction­s at Ferrari world. By the end of 2017, the number will rise to 39,” said the general manager.

anjana@khaleejtim­es.com

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