Ferrari Unveils World's Fastest Roller Coaster

Ferrari has revealed in Barcelona, the venue of this weekend's Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, the fastest roller coaster on the planet.

The Formula Rossa can accelerate to 240 km/h and hits 62 mph in 2 seconds, faster than any Ferrari road car. In fact, the acceleration is so brutal that passengers need to wear protective glasses to shield them against the wind rapidly moving over their faces.

Passengers can experience in the Formula Rossa accelerations of up to 1.7 Gs on a 2.04 kilometer twisty track. The Formula Rossa journey will begin in a temperature controlled pre-ride waiting area, where riders will be given protective eyewear, designed to protect passengers from the windforce generated by the coaster's high speed.

Using a hydraulic winch system, similar to those used to launch jet planes, the F1 inspired coaster is then shot out of the launch area using 20,800 horsepower and propelled to a height of 52m in less than 5 seconds.

Riders are then taken on a blindingly fast and thrilling experience along a 2.07 km track full of sharp turns and sudden drops.

According to the designers of Formula Rossa, Jack Rouse Associates, the key challenge in building the world's fastest roller coaster was obtaining the desired speed without compromising passenger safety and comfort.

Set to open later this year, the theme park on the Persian Gulf is set to incorporate 20 main attractions, including two roller coasters. One of them is the F430 Spider-based coaster previewed a couple of months ago, and now Ferrari has announced details on the second.