Following a VIP opening event, Thorpe Park’s record-breaking Hyperia is now open to the public, with the towering ride taking the titles of both the tallest and the fastest rollercoaster in the UK.
A Mack-manufactured steel hypercoaster, the record-breaking addition reaches a maximum height of 236ft (72m) and travels at a top speed of 80mph (130kmph), taking the number one spot from Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s The Big One.
During the ride, thrill-seekers experience three inversions, including Europe’s tallest loop at 168ft (51.2m) and a world-first outer-banked airtime hill.
The attraction, which has a track length 3,266ft (995m) also offers 14.8 seconds of weightlessness - the most on record for the UK - and includes a splashdown over a lake.
Formerly known as Project Exodus, Thorpe Park submitted plans for Hyperia in December 2021, unveiling the name last October, which according to the park is “themed around our fearless goddess Hyperia”. The park also highlights its double meaning as the ride is itself a hypercoaster - the park’s second after Stealth.
The opening ceremony saw selected guests in attendance with an opening ceremony featuring dancers, confetti and pyrotechnics. Meanwhile, the closing ceremony featured a flyover from two stunt planes.
Around the ride are a photo shop and an F&B outlet. Hyperia sits in the park’s Old Town area close to the site of the now-closed Logger’s Leap ride. The ride is Thorpe Park’s eighth coaster.
The record-breaking Hyperia is now open at Thorpe Park CREDIT: PLANET ATTRACTIONS
