Costa Concordia installs Grand Prix racer
1/6/2006
A Grand Prix car driving simulator was installed today on board Costa Concordia, which is in the final stages of fitting-out at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard.
The simulator recreates the feel of driving a Grand Prix car at speeds of almost 350 km/h. Passengers behind the wheel will be able to record their performance and compete in a virtual Grand Prix as they race against the clock.

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Speed Racing at Sea: Costa Introduces First and Only Grand Prix Driving Simulator on a Cruise Ship
June 5, 2006

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., -- Guests sailing aboard the new Costa Concordia can learn how to race like the pros on the ship's state-of- the-art Grand Prix driving simulator -- the first and only of its kind on a cruise ship. Recently installed on the ship, the simulator features real-time vehicle modeling, the same technology used by Grand Prix champion drivers in training. The Costa Concordia, which weighs 112,000 tons and has a total guest capacity of 3,780, is the newest and largest ship in the Costa fleet and will sail the Mediterranean in her first season beginning this summer.

Located on one of the top decks of the Costa Concordia, guests can "virtually" compete in a Grand Prix race at speeds of over 200 miles per hour on the simulator. In addition, they can record their performance throughout the week to compete with themselves as well as other guests. The Grand Prix simulator is reserved for guests 16 years of age and older.

"The Costa Concordia offers some of the most incredible innovations ever seen on a cruise ship -- from the Samsara Spa, which is the largest spa at sea, to the Grand Prix simulator, the ship is truly revolutionary," said Lynn Torrent, President and CEO of Costa Cruise Lines-North America. "As an Italian company, the Grand Prix driving simulator is especially exciting as it gives us an opportunity to share the country's great enthusiasm for racing with our international clientele."

Finishing touches on the Costa Concordia are currently being completed at the Fincantieri shipyards in Genoa, Italy. The official delivery of the ship is scheduled for June 30 and inaugural festivities will take place in Rome on July 7.

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PRNewswire

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A totally authentic Grand Prix car racing simulator has been installed today on board Costa Cruises’ new flagship Costa Concordia, which is currently in the final stages of fitting-out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente (Genoa).

Weighing in at 112,000 gross tonnage and with total guest capacity of 3780, the Costa Concordia will be the largest cruise ship flying the Italian flag. The Grand Prix simulator, the first of its kind on a cruise liner, will offer Costa Concordia’s guests the thrills and spills of Grand Prix racing on the high seas, bringing them the most accurate representation of Grand Prix driving ever. Located on one of the highest decks of the Costa Concordia, 50 metres above the sea, this jewel from the Costa Racing Stable is the result of advanced real-time vehicle modeling, the same technology used by the Grand Prix champion drivers themselves in training. The simulator creates the sense of driving a Grand Prix car as never before, allowing guests to feel every bump and experience the adrenaline of virtual speeds of almost 350 km/h. There are three levels of difficulty to choose from and guests will also be able to record their performance and compete in a virtual Grand Prix as they race against the clock.

The Grand Prix car driving simulator will be one of the main features of the new flagship, Costa Concordia. Official delivery of the vessel to Costa Cruises is scheduled for 30th June this year at the Fincantieri shipyards in Sestri Ponente (Genoa), the same yard where she was built. Her christening ceremony will be held in the Port of Rome (Civitavecchia) on July 7, 2006.