Fastest Roller Coaster

The Need for Speed

From high speed internet access to stock car racing to supersonic flight to fast food service, humans are obsessed with a need for speed. Challenging speed limits can be an instant thrill, and the fastest roller coaster designs in the world offer a safe and fun way to enjoy tremendous speeds.

Super Speedy Scream Machines

Roller coaster manufacturers are constantly investigating new ways to increase the speed of these massive technological marvels. In the early history of roller coasters, the maximum speed of the ride was determined by the height and length of the track as well as its conditions – how much friction there was on the track. During the coaster boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s, designers found ways to increase coasters’ speeds to unheard of levels, but within less than a decade even those records would be broken by speedier designs and new technologies, though specific roller coaster designs have different limitations on their top speeds.

Steel Coasters

Steel roller coasters are the speed demons of amusement parks. Dozens of steel coasters have top speeds greater than 60 miles per hour, and a select few can go faster than 100 miles per hour. Some of the fastest coasters today include:

• Kingda Ka: This hydraulic launch coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey was built in 2005 and pushes the speed envelope at an incredible 128 miles per hour. Kingda Ka is also one of the world’s tallest roller coasters at more than 420 feet tall, and its vertical tower allows trains to use up their excess speed in an exhilarating way.
• Top Thrill Dragster: Also a hydraulic launch coaster, this is one of the most popular rides at Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio. Built in 2003, this was the first coaster to rise taller than 400 feet in the air and the first in North America to reach speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour. Cedar Point’s history also has other speed record coasters in its timeline: Millennium Force, built in 2000, was the first coaster to go faster than 90 miles per hour, and Magnum XL-200, which opened in 1989, was the first in the world to go faster than 70 miles per hour.
• Dodonpa: This compressed air launch coaster can be found at Fuji-Q Highland park in Japan. Built in 2001, its top speed is 107 miles per hour.
• Superman the Escape: Located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, this LSM electromagnetic launch coaster was built in 1997 and was the first to reach 100 miles per hour.

Wooden structures have limitations.

Wooden Coasters

Because of their structural limitations, wooden roller coasters cannot compete with steel rides for speed-related records. Several wooden coasters, however, have impressive top speeds, including:

• Son of Beast: This massive coaster at King’s Island theme park in Ohio was built in 2000 and renovated extensively in 2007. Its top speed is 78 miles per hour, an impressive feat for a wooden coaster.
• Colossos: Located at Heide-Park Soltau in Germany, this wooden coaster opened in 2001 and reaches a fast pace of 75 miles per hour.
• El Toro: Just a few minutes’ walk from Kingda Ka, this wooden coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure has been reaching 70 miles per hour since it opened in 2006.

Powered Coasters

Powered coasters are the slowest.

Powered coasters, which are electrically propelled throughout the entire ride, have unique speed limitations that generally keep their speeds lower than 25 miles per hour – hardly impressive when compared to other designs. Several rides, however, have impressive speeds, including:

• Thunder Road: Built in 1981 at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, this powered coaster reaches 40 miles per hour, an unheard of speed for electric rides.
• Odin Ekspressen: This powered coaster at Tivoli Gardens in Denmark reaches 37 miles per hour along its electric track and has been thrilling riders since 1985.

Despite their age and limitations, these power coasters are nonetheless impressive and well worth a visit from roller coaster enthusiasts.

Limitations on Fastest Roller Coaster Designs

As new technologies become available faster coasters will undoubtedly be designed, but they will need to overcome some severe limitations, including:

• Space: A traditional chain lift coaster requires tremendous space to rise high enough to reach great speeds. Space is at a premium in many parks, and while launched coasters can go faster in less space, they too have extensive requirements.
• Cost: More unique technologies and the development of speedier rides is expensive, and many parks do not have the massive budgets necessary to speed up past existing limits. Launched coasters, in particular, are among the most expensive designs.
• Biology: As coasters become more intense, they can wreak havoc on the human body. Faster coasters will need to be carefully engineered to be safe for riders.

Fastest Coaster Riding Tips

Riding a fast coaster is a unique and thrilling experience if done properly.

• Obey all height restrictions and health-related warnings.
• Secure all loose articles or leave them with a non-rider. Many parks do not permit loose articles on the platforms of the fastest coasters.
• Use secure straps for sunglasses.
• Be prepared for long lines as fast coasters frequently draw the largest crowds.
• Do not force a rider onto a ride if they are nervous or scared. Let them observe the ride and decide whether or not to ride when they are ready.

Wooden or steel, the fastest roller coaster designs in the world offer a quick thrill for riders that won’t soon be forgotten.