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In 2003, Top Thrill Dragster opened as the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster, built by Intamin. Featuring a blistering 120 mile-per-hour launch, it climbed a forty-two story "top hat" (a massive hill shaped like, well, a top hat) to
race the sky. But ever since this beloved attraction closed in September 2021, roller coaster enthusiasts around the world have been yearning to find out its ultimate fate. The mystery and intrigue swelled in early 2023, when Cedar Point teased that
Top Thrill Dragster would return in 2024 - but in a new form. Finally, the secret is out!
Now known as Top Thrill 2, the coaster has received a handful of upgrades from Zamperla. Most prominently, the track has been extended to include a second forty-two story hill. This time, it's a vertical spike, pointing riders straight down
at the ground.
The 420-foot tall spike on Top Thrill 2. Photo: Artist Concept from Cedar Point. View full-sized image.
Additionally, Zamperla outfitted Top Thrill 2 with new rolling stock - trains from their Lightning brand. The restraints promise to be extremely comfortable and accomodating for all body types, while the front and back of the train feature
slick racecar-inspired decoration.
The front of Top Thrill 2's new trains. Photo: Artist Concept from Cedar Point. View full-sized image.
At the start, using a magnetic (LSM - Linear Synchronous Motors) launch system, riders peel out down the straightaway reaching speeds of 74 mph racing toward the sky on Top Thrill 2's original 420-foot-tall “top hat” tower. But the train doesn't
have enough speed to scale the tower, so riders "roll back" - a coveted sensation for roller-coaster enthusiasts. After falling back down the top-hat, the train shifts into reverse and launches again, reaching speeds of 101 mph backwards.
Then, riders climb the forty-two story spike, facing straight down toward the ground. After nearing the top, gravity pulls the train back down and it boosts through the final launch - propelling the train to 120 miles per hour, the same speed as the original
Top Thrill Dragster. This time, it successfully climbs the top-hat tower, coming back down to end the 3,422 foot long adrenaline rush.
Many had the opportunity to sign a support column for Top Thrill 2's spike before it was put into place. Photo: Courtesy of Zamperla. View full-sized image.
The beginnings of Top Thrill 2's vertical spike. Photo: Courtesy of Zamperla. View full-sized image.
As the world's tallest and fastest triple-launch roller coaster, Top Thrill 2 is poised to be a must-ride for coaster enthusiasts, standing even taller among the giant-sized thrills found at Cedar Point.
— Kohl Gribble, ACE 360 Coordinator
American Coaster Enthusiasts is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, appreciation and safe enjoyment of roller coasters. With 6,500 members worldwide, ACE is the largest and longest-running enthusiast organization
in the world. Members of ACE receive exclusive park benefits, newsletters, magazines and the opportunity to attend national, local and even international tours at parks. You can enjoy the benefits of members today! Join at join.aceonline.org.
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