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
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
