Fancy racing through the streets of Maranello, Italy, in a themed Ferrari spy car on the world’s first ride system of its kind? Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has just the experience for you.
“Mission Ferrari is the culmination of our continuous efforts to deliver best-in-class guest experiences,” says Ferrari World Abu Dhabi’s general manager Deana Taylor. “As the world’s most immersive mega-coaster, the ride is equipped with the latest technological advancements in the industry. Mission Ferrari is our most advanced ride yet and bringing it to life has been our proudest moment.”
The new multimedia attraction challenges ‘secret agents’ to deliver a spy car to the Ferrari factory in Maranello. Along the way, they encounter menacing assailants and all manner of obstacles, brought to life with themed props and special effects.
Part coaster, part dark ride, the 5D experience is rooted to the first ever SFX Coaster ride system from Dynamic Attractions. Whilst the corkscrew section that escapes outside of the show building has been teasing Ferrari World Abu Dhabi guests since before the pandemic, much of the action takes place in darkness. This includes two world-first elements, a sideways drop and tilt, and a drop switch.
Your mission awaits
The Mission Ferrari experience begins with a pre-show and themed queue line, in which guests are greeted by Agent Cavallino, who explains the mission that lies ahead. Once on board the nine-seater ride vehicles, passengers pass through an Italian vineyard scene before their first encounter with the Viper Organization, whose villains are intent on hijacking the Ferrari spy car.
The first of three LSM launch sequences propels the vehicle out of the building, swooping over the Bella Italia attraction below. The roller coaster‘s top speed is 72 km/h. Back inside, the car approaches a double decker bridge. An armoured van approaches, and helicopters shoot missiles from above. There is a huge explosion and the spy cars falls through a hole in the bridge, and into the Italian countryside in another launch sequence.
The vehicle then travels through a curve towards a dam. With the aid of the tilt and drop element, passengers find themselves hovering over the edge as assailants shoot from above. The car is sent backwards into a black hole, a reverse loop and a helix.
Meanwhile in the backstreets of Maranello, there is another helicopter fight, featuring a life-size chopper. Chaos ensues as a missile appears to hit the car. Sparks fly, roadsigns bend backwards, and spaghetti is sent flying into the air at a nearby restaurant!
Unexpected ride elements
Featuring more than half a kilometre of track, the mission is completed successfully as the sideways drop dispatches the spy car deep into the bowels of the Ferrari factory.
This element was designed to completely surprise guests, says Dynamic Attractions CEO Guy Nelson. “The sideways drop switch accelerates sideways, dropping the vehicle full of guests down a hill. The motion is synchronised to the show sets and projected media in the scene. With guests focused on the sets in the opposite direction, the effect is powerful, unexpected and thrilling.”
The eagerly awaited attraction, which last around 3.5 minutes (plus the pre-show), opened in January after several years of delays. These were attributed partly to the complexity of the ride system, and also the pandemic. The coaster is accommodated inside a show building in heart of the theme park, which previously housed a water ride.
A technical team of more than 100 brought Mission Ferrari over the finish line. The concept, schematic and detail design were prepared by the TAA Group, which also provided show sets, theming and mechanical effects. The creative director was George Walker, the art director Sven Riegel and the technical director Mike Haimson. Other vendors included Aecom, db Show Control & Automation, Medialon, Beckhoff, Allen Bradley and Holovis, which supplied AV systems.
An experience unlike any other
The launch of Mission Ferrari is the latest of several new attractions at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in recent years, as the Yas Island destination seeks to broaden its offer.
“As with every new attraction, we aim to provide our guests with experiences that cater to their preferences,” says Taylor. “Be that the opening of the Family Zone back in 2020 or unique Ferrari-inspired attractions such as the Roof Walk and Zip Line Experience.”
Guest satisfaction for Mission Ferrari is already high, adds Taylor. She describes the new attraction as “an experience unlike any other” on which “guests will get to enjoy an immersive journey that is truly Ferrari-inspired”.
A second SFX Coaster, featuring another unique attraction concept, is expected to open later this year at Genting SkyWorlds in Malaysia.
Images: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Dirk Ermen and Dynamic Attractions
