Spain: Construction of Ferrari Land at PortAventura Progresses

In May last year, Spain’s PortAventura World Parks & Resorts started the construction of its new, 100-million-euro project Ferrari Land (cf. EAP News from May 11, 2015). The main attraction of PortAventura’s third theme park will be an accelerator coaster without inversions built by Intamin. Recently, the construction team on site reached the coaster’s highest point.

Featuring a height of 112 meters, “Acelerador Vertical” will – according to PortAventura – not only be the resort’s highest coaster but also the highest one in Europe. The new coaster will be entirely painted in “Rossa Corsa”, the characteristic Ferrari color, and give passengers the feeling of sitting in a racing car. Having left the station, the coaster train will accelerate to 180 kilometers per hour in only five seconds, immediately followed by a vertical ascent up the 112-meter high tower, before plummeting back down again at a maximum 90-degree angle. It will take 180 seconds to cover the 880 meter-long track. Acelerador Vertical will include three trains with 12 seats each.

The 60,000-square meter Ferrari Land is scheduled to be completed at the end of this year and to open in 2017. More than 50 companies have been involved in the development and construction of the theme park. Apart from the accelerator coaster, the park’s attractions portfolio will also include, amongst other rides, the “Torres de rebote” attraction, two 55-meter high drop towers. PortAventura, which announced its rebranding at the beginning of this year (cf. EAP News from January 28, 2016), is confident of attracting five million visitors annually once the new theme park will be opened. In 2015, the resort registered more than four million guests, making it the second best season in its history. (eap)