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These days, roller coasters are all about height and
speed. Across the globe, parks race to outdo each other each year,
striving for the claim to fame of “fastest roller coaster” or “tallest
roller coaster.” Read on to explore the current 10 fastest roller
coasters on the planet.
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10. Intimidator 305
Located at Kings Dominion is Doswell, Virginia, Intimidator 305 was
inspired by NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt and reaches an impressive top
speed of 90 miles per hour. In fact, when the ride first opened, it hit
94 miles per hour, but needed to be slowed down due to excessive
G-forces. |
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9. Leviathan
Designed and manufactured by coaster giants Bolliger and Mabillard of
Switzerland, this Canadian coaster can be found at Canada’s Wonderland
near Toronto and boasts a top speed of 92 miles per hour. Riders love
the insanely fast but surprisingly smooth ride, which attracts coaster
lovers from all over the globe. |
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8. Millennium Force
The world’s first giga-coaster (exceeding 300 feet tall) broke all kinds
of records when it debuted in 2000. Located at Cedar Point in Sandusky,
Ohio, Millennium Force was manufactured by Intamin of Switzerland and
reaches a top speed of 93 miles per hour following its 310-foot first
hill. Despite the fact that it’s now 14 years old, this ride is still
ranked the top steel coaster on the planet by Amusement Today. |
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7. Steel Dragon 2000
Nagashima Spa Land, an amusement park located in Japan, took the
“fastest coaster in the world” tile from Cedar Point’s Millennium Force
later in 2000 with the introduction of Steel Dragon 2000. With a top
speed of 95 miles per hour, this coaster’s first hill is so tall that it
requires two separate lift chains to make it to the top. |
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6. Ring Racer
Located at Nurburgring Park in Germany, Ring Racer debuted in 2009 and
was manufactured by S&S Worldwide. The unique compressed-air launch
system is actually designed to launch trains at 135 miles per hour, but
because of concerns over excessive G-forces, the ride’s top speed is
listed at 99 miles per hour. This unique ride runs parallel to an actual
race track, providing an exciting experience for adrenalin junkies with
each launch.
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5. Superman: Escape from Krypton & Tower of Terror
The #5 position is actually a tie between two similar coasters: Superman
at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California and Tower of Terror at
Dreamworld in Australia. Both coasters launch riders at 100 miles per
hour up a huge tower and then allow them to fall back down to Earth in
reverse before coming to a stop back in the station. Riders on both
rides actually reach a staggering 100 mils per hour twice during each
ride: once during the initial launch and again during the descent back
to the ground.
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4. Dodonpa
Classified as a thrust air coaster, Dodonpa is located at Fuji-Q
Highland in Japan and reaches a top speed of an impressive 107 miles per
hour. This, combined with the launch up a 90 degree tower, over a tophat,
and back down to Earth, make this a must-ride for speed and adrenalin
junkies alike. In fact, roller coaster lovers travel far and wide to
experience this unique ride for themselves, even if the ride itself is
only about a minute long.
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3. Top Thrill Dragster
From the same makers of Cedar Point’s record-breaking Millennium Force
comes Top Thrill Dragster, which opened at the same park in 2003. The
coaster was the first of its kind to use a hydraulic launch to propel
riders from 0 to 120 miles per hour in just a few seconds. The ride
itself is themed to top fuel dragster racing, and riders even pull up to
a series of “Christmas tree” lights that illuminate from yellow to green
at the time of launch. More than 10 years later, this ride is still
among the most popular at Cedar Point–even if the entire ride only lasts
17 seconds.
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2. Kingda Ka
Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey fired back at Cedar Point in
2005 with the opening of its own faster version of Top Thrill Dragster:
Kingda Ka. This ride is made by the same manufacture and is almost
identical in its design, with a few exceptions. For example, Kingda Ka:
• reaches a top speed of 128 miles per hour
• features a slightly taller hill of 456 feet
• has over-the-shoulder restraints as opposed to lap bars
• has an additional airtime hill on the return back to the station
In almost every other regard, Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster are the
same ride. Still, many roller coaster junkies who have ridden both claim
that there’s a big difference between 120 miles per hour and 128.
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1. Formula Rossa
Currently, the fastest roller coaster in the world is located at Ferrari
World in Abu Dhabi, and reaches a top speed of an astonishing 149 miles
per hour. Riders are launched to the coaster’s top speed using a
hydraulic launch system similar to that of Top Thrill Dragster and
Kingda Ka. However, this ride is so intense that riders are required to
wear goggles!
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