Ferrari World, the first car theme park, set to open in 2010

Ferrari announced October 30 that its Ferrari World amusement park, currently under construction in Abu Dhabi, will open next year.

Intended as a mecca for devoted fans of the Italian sports car manufacturer as well as a family tourist destination, Ferrari World will be the first theme park of its kind as well as the world's largest indoor amusement park.

Ferrari World will offer more than 20 rides, including the world's fastest rollercoaster (currently called the F1 Coaster) which approaches 130 miles per hour (210 kilometers per hour). Another ride will simulate the G-forces felt by a Formula One driver's body by shooting passengers 200 feet (60 meters) up through the middle of the park's stylish roof.

The park is situated on Yas Island -- which is 15 kilometers northeast of Abu Dhabi and when completed will feature over 700 retail shops and a Formula One racetrack as well as water rides, a movie theater complex and more. Ferrari World will cover 49.5 acres (200,000 square meters).

The building's thought-provoking design was created in the style of a classic double-curve body shell of a Ferrari GT car. It features the world's largest Ferrari logo, stretching over 215 feet (65 meters) in diameter.

While the Yas Island complex is only 65 percent finished, accorder to the builders, Aldar Construction, it is already hosting concerts from major music acts such as Aerosmith and Jamiroquai as well as last weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Ferrari World will be far less serious in tone than Volkswagen's Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany, which is mainly a museum, factory tour and architectural study.