• Nitro @ Six Flags Great Adventure | Coaster Reviews

  Written by The Coaster Critic 8 Comments
  Last Updated: June 6, 2007

  Take a Spin on Six Flag’s Most Acclaimed Roller Coaster
  Nitro is a popular hyper coaster that completes Six Flags Great Adventure’s trinity of top-notch roller coasters. Kingda Ka, El Toro, and Nitro make Great Adventure a must visit destination for coaster enthusiasts. Nitro has received the most praise of just about any roller coaster Six Flags has in their arsenal. In 2006, Nitro was ranked 7th among the best steel roller coasters in the world in Mitch Hawker’s Coaster Poll. It also ranked 4th in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards.

  Hoping to replicate the success of Apollo’s Chariot, Six Flags hired Bolliger & Mabillard to build Nitro in 2001. Your ride begins as you climb aboard the ultra-comfortable, chair-like train cars. From your midsection up, you are completely free. The seats are raised above the floor of the cars allowing your feet and legs to swing freely.

  After the train leaves the station it takes an immediate swooping turn to the left. Then you begin your long, 23-story ascent. Great Adventure is a pretty large park, but luckily they gave Nitro its own wooded section. As you rise the lift hill you see only the bright yellow track and trees. Here’s an overhead look of Nitro’s layout. The first drop is a memorable 215′ that results in a furious 80 mph at the bottom. This is followed by another hill, this time with a banked crest. This second hill offers a small pop of airtime and a 130′ drop. More hills follow as you continue to rise up above the tree line only to drop back down to earth.

  At the half-way point the train rises into the hammerhead turn. (Seen here.) It’s a raised heavily-banked u-turn. It’s somewhat similar to the swooping turn around that follows Millennium Force’s first drop. With it’s height and g-forces the hammerhead element is the highlight of the ride. Next, the train coasts over another smaller hill. Then the s-curve section which is fun, but forgettable. A pretty intense upward double helix is followed by a short brake run.

  Immediately following the brakes you reach Nitro’s finale, a series of four small airtime hills. This is the same recipe B&M used to finish off Apollo’s Chariot. On Nitro however, the airtime is much less abundant. That’s my main problem with Nitro as a whole. It’s a fun, smooth ride, with some large drops and exciting elements, but the airtime (moments of being lifted out of your seat) isn’t as memorable or was non-existent. Nitro is still a great roller coaster that deserves the attention and accolades it receives. Final Rating – 9.0 (Excellent)

  Check out this on-ride coaster video of Nitro:
  

  Similar B&M hyper coasters: Apollo’s Chariot at Busch Gardens Europe, Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, Silver Star at Europa Park

  What’s Your Take?
  Do you have a question or comment about Nitro? Leave one below. Photos courtesy of CoasterImage

  

  Related Posts:

  1. El Toro @ Six Flags Great Adventure | Coaster Reviews
  2. Kingda Ka @ Six Flags Great Adventure | Coaster Reviews
  3. Six Flags Great Adventure | Theme Park Reviews

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8 Comments

1. #1 Jake says:
   May 12th, 2009 at 10:24 pm

   The first time I rode Nitro I thought it was an awesome coaster with a ton of really good airtime. I went back to Great Adventure a few years later and thought that it was kind of boring with almost no air time like you described. After riding it a second time that day I realized that Nitro is two completely different rides depending on whether you sit in the front or the back. In the front the trains have enough speed when they crest the hills to pop you out of your seat. However if you sit in the back of the train you have already lost too much speed when you go over each hill to get lifted out of your seat. If Six Flags would have made the coaster a little bit faster I think all sections of the train would get good air time and they could have a world class ride on their hands.

   Reply
2. #2 Judy P in Pgh says:
   June 8th, 2009 at 5:22 pm

   SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTH and possibly the most comfortable coaster seats ever! I recommend a sunset ride for a spectacular view.

   Reply
3. #3 Matty says:
   June 10th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

   The best ride at Six Flags Great Adventure! No contest!

   Reply
4. #4 Tom says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 8:24 am

   Jake, that was exactly what I was going to say!

   Reply
5. #5 Matthew says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 9:36 am

   Hey Judy, if you thought the seats to nitro were comfortable, go on apollos chariot at busch gardens. It cant get any better than that!

   Reply
6. #6 JaMeS says:
   July 11th, 2009 at 7:28 pm

   That is EXACTLY RIGHT. NO SMOOTHER SEATS THAN THE GOD OF THE SUN.

   Reply
7. #7 Daniel says:
   July 14th, 2009 at 7:45 pm

   I have now rode both…Nitro is SLIGHTLY better…..I didn’t like the theme as well as Apollo but something about the drop was a little better…..a world class coaster for sure

   Reply
8. #8 QB3 says:
   September 5th, 2009 at 4:44 pm

   Nitro is one of my favorite coasters but if you ask me, there is one element of the ride that is constantly overlooked. at the beggining of the ride, you go in a slightly banked sweeping turn a bove the Q. since you just got used to having your legs dangling after the usualy long wait. its a little diorienting, and the people some 10 feet under you looking up and to the fun, the turn leaves you on edge for the rest of the ride. also the seats on nitro and apallos chariot are exactly the same so how can apallo be more comfortable?

   Reply