Can the world’s fastest roller coaster offer the same thrills as an actual Ferrari? We race to Abu Dhabi to find out.
0-240kph in 4.9sec, a gravitational pull of 4.8G, twists and turns as sharp as a fighter jet, and only a seat latch holding you into place. That is the Formula Rossa at Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi – the world’s fastest roller coaster. Clearly, nothing can come close to offering the same feeling on the road. Or can it? What about an actual Ferrari? What about one with 830hp, a 0-100kph time of just 2.8sec and a top speed of 330kph? What about a 296 GTB?
To find out, I took a trip to Dubai where I made my acquaintance with the 296 GTB for the first time. Finished in Argento Nürburgring (because a Ferrari paint shade can’t be as basic as ‘Silver’), the 296 was gleaming in the bright middle eastern sun.
However, I had no time to sit and romanticise about the design. I fired up the mid-mounted 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, expecting that classic Ferrari eruption on start-up, only to be greeted by the ping of the electronics coming on. Yes, I had forgotten that the 296 GTB is essentially part-EV. Needless to say, I switched to ‘Performance’ as soon as I could, and the engine barked into life, in what was a most un-V6 sound.
Now Dubai, unlike India, has no room for transgression, so the 100-odd kilometre drive to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi would have to be covered with surgical precision. A speed limit of 120kph, which the 296 GTB achieves in second gear, meant I had to resort to cruise control, which feels absurd in a Ferrari.
Arriving at Ferrari World in a Ferrari was a spectacle too. Children in shock and awe, plenty of thumbs up by the parents, and the confused looks given by security personnel who probably wondered if I had nicked one from inside the amusement park.
As I was navigating to the parking lot in absolute silence, thanks to the eD mode, I could hear the rumblings of the roller coaster in the distance with faint screams of the passengers. And before I could fathom in which direction the horror was taking place, the F1-styled coaster rushed out of a sharp turn and blasted past me, leaving behind a dust storm. It was my first glimpse of the Formula Rossa, and even though I was at an amusement park, nothing about it seemed amusing.
The rollercoaster stays true to its name and tests your body to its limits.
The ride began with a classic F1-style start, involving the famous five red lights that only made me think about David Croft yelling out – “lights out and away we go!” And away we went. The first 100 metres were a shock to the system. Then as the coaster climbed up to uncomfortable heights, there was an eerie silence, which was immediately disrupted by screams as we went over into a huge drop that almost knocked me out.
Following that were sudden twists that tried everything to chuck me off my seat, and a couple of fast curves that felt like I was in a car crash. Before I could compute what my body had been through, I was back in the pavilion. Palms sweaty, heart pumping and pupils dilated. It was an experience that tested my body and one that should be experienced at least once.
Candyland for every petrol-head but heaven for every Ferrari fan.
As I walked back into the park, gasping for air, the abundance of Ferraris everywhere was rather calming. However, I skipped the stores and activities, since it was imperative that I found out how much of this thrill the 296 could offer.
I navigated to a location that is famous among supercar owners in Dubai, which also, unrelated I’m sure, happened to have no speed cameras. And that meant I could get a gist of what the 296 GTB could do with no holds barred. All I had to do was make sure the Manettino was pointing at ‘Race’, make sure I was in ‘Performance’ mode, and make sure I had a clear road ahead. Left foot on brake, right foot on accelerator, let the boost build and away I went, yet again. The engine screamed as the needle bounced off the redline at 8,500rpm, and following it was an outstanding blow-off sound from the twin-turbos.
3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 is undoubtedly the crown jewel.
Sure, it didn’t have the raw thrust of the coaster, but since I was the one with controls, the sense of involvement was immense. The area also had sharp turns, and here, too, the incredibly direct steering meant the 296 changed direction just as viciously as the Formula Rossa. As I switched the gearbox to manual mode, pulling on the long paddle shifters was hugely satisfying.
Stringent speed limits meant a cap on 100kph.
Laying down 830hp through the rear wheels, on roads that had a film of soft sand, had a thrill of its own, and even though the back did kick out a bit, it was never unmanageable. The more I drove the 296, the better it got.
The smile on my face was stretching further as I drove deeper into the rev range, and it was then that I realised the core difference between the two. The roller coaster was an adrenaline rush that made me yell and scream in a cacophony of fear, disbelief and excitement, whereas the 296 was a dopamine release that serenaded me into a trance that was equally enticing, but a lot longer lasting.
In my mind, I was no less than Charles Leclerc.
Out of the two experiences, I would remember brief instances of the Formula Rossa, as most were lost in the uncertainty of making it out unscathed. But I would vividly remember for the rest of my life, each and every moment of how it felt to drive the 296 GTB at full pitch, piercing through the sands of time.
