About Subscribe Submit news Get in touch
 
Home Opinion In depth Video LIVE news Interviews Company profiles Events diary Jobs
Cedar Point announces record-breaking sequel to Top Thrill Dragster with reengineered Top Thrill 2 | Planet Attractions
     

news

Cedar Point announces record-breaking sequel to Top Thrill Dragster with reengineered Top Thrill 2

Cedar Point has announced a sequel to Top Thrill Dragster, with Zamperla behind the reimagined Top Thrill 2, which will break the record for the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster when it opens in 2024






Cedar Point is set to offer a major upgrade on Top Thrill Dragster, with the ride’s sequel, Top Thrill 2, adding a second 420-foot-tall (128-metre) tower spike, three launches and a hair raising top speed of 120mph (193kmph).

Manufactured by Zamperla, the reimagined rollercoaster at the park in Sandusky, Ohio, US, will break the record for the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster when it opens next year. The ride will also be the world’s only dual tower vertical speedway.

The ride will retain its original launch, travelling partway up the original ride hill at a speed of 74mph (119kmph) before rolling backwards. Riders then launch backwards at 101mph (162kmph) at a 90 degree angle before finally launching forward again, this time at maximum speed up and over the hill.

The new ride will last close to two minutes, a significant increase on Top Thrill Dragster, which lasted around 17 seconds.

“Top Thrill 2 stands as a testament to the park's commitment to delivering unmatched thrills and extraordinary guest experiences,” said Ramon Rosario, Zamperla’s director of Sales for the US.

“The ride's innovative design, breathtaking speeds, and technological elements will undoubtedly captivate rollercoaster enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike. The new 420-foot-tall spike tower will redefine the famous Cedar Point skyline.”

Zamperla’s Roller Coaster Business Unit is adding a linear synchronous motor, powered by magnets to the ride, replacing the existing hydraulic system. The ride’s trains will also be replaced, becoming one of the first rollercoasters in the world to utilise Zamperla’s Lightning Trains.

According to Zamperla, the Lightning vehicle is something the industry hasn’t seen before. Launched at IAAPA Expo 2022, the train is designed around two key factors: rider comfort and cost of ownership. Made of aluminium and carbon-fibre, the train also weighs less than almost any other of this type currently on the market. Finally, the wheels are unique, in that they are designed to withstand the high speeds of the record-breaking ride by using a polyurethane compound that can withstand the heat generated from the ride’s high-speed acceleration.

“In every market segment we have entered, we have excelled because of our commitment to quality and innovation,” said Antonio Zamperla, Zamperla Group president and CEO.

“I know our Roller Coaster Business Unit will see the same success. I cannot wait until 2024 when we will see this record-breaking scream machine come to life.”

Its predecessor, Top Thrill Dragster was the world’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster when it debuted in 2003 but the ride was shut down in 2021 after an accident that left a woman with serious ‘permanent’ injuries when a metal plate from one of the original rollercoaster trains flew off and hit her in the head. The family of the woman filed a lawsuit against Cedar Point in July.

The addition of Top Thrill 2 will see the park once again have 18 active rollercoasters - the third most of any theme park in the world behind Six Flags Magic Mountain in California and Poland’s Energylandia.

Top Thrill 2 acts as a sequel to Top Thrill Dragster, with Zamperla working on the new expanded iteration of the ride   CREDIT: CEDAR POINT



Theme park

 

Get ready to ride: Planet Attractions announces launch of Planet Rides website





Everything you need to know about IAAPA Expo 2024





Vekoma to unveil ‘surprising’ rollercoaster and 2025 openings at IAAPA Expo




Industry insights



The world is on fire, so why should we care about cultural heritage?



Video



WATCH: ‘Surround yourself in horror’ as Universal’s Horror Unleashed prepares for 2025 debut


In Depth



Innovation and expansion: A bumper year in the US for Semnox Solutions



© Kazoo 5 Limited 2024
About Subscribe Get in touch
 
Opinion In depth Interviews
LIVE news Profiles Diary Video
Jobs
Cedar Point announces record-breaking sequel to Top Thrill Dragster with reengineered Top Thrill 2 | Planet Attractions
news

Cedar Point announces record-breaking sequel to Top Thrill Dragster with reengineered Top Thrill 2

Cedar Point has announced a sequel to Top Thrill Dragster, with Zamperla behind the reimagined Top Thrill 2, which will break the record for the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster when it opens in 2024





Cedar Point is set to offer a major upgrade on Top Thrill Dragster, with the ride’s sequel, Top Thrill 2, adding a second 420-foot-tall (128-metre) tower spike, three launches and a hair raising top speed of 120mph (193kmph).

Manufactured by Zamperla, the reimagined rollercoaster at the park in Sandusky, Ohio, US, will break the record for the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster when it opens next year. The ride will also be the world’s only dual tower vertical speedway.

The ride will retain its original launch, travelling partway up the original ride hill at a speed of 74mph (119kmph) before rolling backwards. Riders then launch backwards at 101mph (162kmph) at a 90 degree angle before finally launching forward again, this time at maximum speed up and over the hill.

The new ride will last close to two minutes, a significant increase on Top Thrill Dragster, which lasted around 17 seconds.

“Top Thrill 2 stands as a testament to the park's commitment to delivering unmatched thrills and extraordinary guest experiences,” said Ramon Rosario, Zamperla’s director of Sales for the US.

“The ride's innovative design, breathtaking speeds, and technological elements will undoubtedly captivate rollercoaster enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike. The new 420-foot-tall spike tower will redefine the famous Cedar Point skyline.”

Zamperla’s Roller Coaster Business Unit is adding a linear synchronous motor, powered by magnets to the ride, replacing the existing hydraulic system. The ride’s trains will also be replaced, becoming one of the first rollercoasters in the world to utilise Zamperla’s Lightning Trains.

According to Zamperla, the Lightning vehicle is something the industry hasn’t seen before. Launched at IAAPA Expo 2022, the train is designed around two key factors: rider comfort and cost of ownership. Made of aluminium and carbon-fibre, the train also weighs less than almost any other of this type currently on the market. Finally, the wheels are unique, in that they are designed to withstand the high speeds of the record-breaking ride by using a polyurethane compound that can withstand the heat generated from the ride’s high-speed acceleration.

“In every market segment we have entered, we have excelled because of our commitment to quality and innovation,” said Antonio Zamperla, Zamperla Group president and CEO.

“I know our Roller Coaster Business Unit will see the same success. I cannot wait until 2024 when we will see this record-breaking scream machine come to life.”

Its predecessor, Top Thrill Dragster was the world’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster when it debuted in 2003 but the ride was shut down in 2021 after an accident that left a woman with serious ‘permanent’ injuries when a metal plate from one of the original rollercoaster trains flew off and hit her in the head. The family of the woman filed a lawsuit against Cedar Point in July.

The addition of Top Thrill 2 will see the park once again have 18 active rollercoasters - the third most of any theme park in the world behind Six Flags Magic Mountain in California and Poland’s Energylandia.

Top Thrill 2 acts as a sequel to Top Thrill Dragster, with Zamperla working on the new expanded iteration of the ride   CREDIT: CEDAR POINT



 



© Kazoo 5 Limited 2024