Thorpe Park’s Colossus opened in 2002 as the the first roller coaster to have ten loops. Today, it still holds the record as no roller coaster has went for eleven inversions yet. While I’m sure it’d be a dizzying ride I love looping roller coasters so I’d be fun to take the challenge someday. The Intamin-designed coaster has a vertical loop, cobra roll (2), double corkscrew (2), quad heartline roll (4), and another heartline roll. The quadruple loop looks really cool:
to know if Colossos’ heartline rolls are rough or if Intamin found a smoother way to execute the rolls.
According to Wikipedia, Intamin created Colossus by adding two loops to a previous design they had used in a Brazilian coaster Monte Makaya. Aside from adding the two record breaking loops, they also made Colossus 20 feet shorter and a bit slower. With a top speed of only 45 mph, the loops are likely pretty tolerable. Since Colossus opened, a clone was built at Chimelong Paradise in China. It’s known simply as Ten Inversion Roller Coaster.
RCDB has more photos of Colossus. Also, check out Thorpe Park’s website. Thorpe Park, located in Surrey, England is also home to 2009′s SAW: The Ride which features a 100 degree drop. The park also boasts B&M inverted coaster Nemesis Inferno and Intamin launch coaster Stealth. Check out this off-ride video of Colossus at Thorpe Park:
What do you think of Colossus? Have you ridden it? What’s the roller coaster that you’ve ridden that had the most loops? Leave a comment below. Image 2 courtesy of CoasterJunky.
March 16, 2010 at 18:32
Review here: http://www.coastergrotto.com/review.jsp?argId=302
March 17, 2010 at 01:58
video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzr5exsSyWE&fe…
March 17, 2010 at 01:31
The last time I went to Thorpe Park back in November, we were held up for 45 minutes in the Colossus queue while they cleaned vomit from one of the coaster's trains. I believe someone lost control of their lunch after the quadruple-looping section at the end that's shown in your photo above…fortunately not on one of the sections that passes over the queue. Should probably be a warning to others!
Overall it's not too rough, but it feels like the inversions were kind of squeezed in at the end to break the record. The final section can be a bit headache-inducing, but it's still a great ride.
For my money, of Thorpe Park's other coasters Saw: The Ride is a better overall experience (once you fight past the packs of screaming teenagers to get on board).
March 17, 2010 at 11:48
Collosus would be sweet if it was taller and faster. If my Minnesota Math is correct, this is the shortest Intamin caoster on the planet. B&M's Dragon Kahn in Spain is 50 feet taller, has a much faster speed, but only 8 inversions. But you're right CC in saying that the quad heartline roll looks awesome.
March 18, 2010 at 01:53
which 2 flips did they add?
January 17, 2011 at 17:29
Actually, no. There are Intamin Coasters a lot shorter than that. RCDB has a list for you.
http://rcdb.com/r.htm?order=25&ot=2&nm=na…
And Quil, I believe they added 2 heartline rolls to the inversion count. That quad heartline roll was originally a triple heartline roll. They added another to the sequence, and a seperate heartline roll, elsewhere.
Hope that helps.
March 19, 2010 at 18:53
Heartline Roll looks awesome! Looks a little dizzying, but it still looks cool! Thrope Park itself seems pretty cool. As I say in all the other most wanted posts, I wish I could go there.
March 20, 2010 at 16:07
WHOOOAAOOAAOOAAOOAAOOAA!!! oh. sorr, i was imagining the
0-G roll. looks prettey cool.
October 7, 2010 at 08:02
The heartline rolls are amazing, easily the best part of the ride. They are executed at perfect speeds to maximize airtime and intensity – the rest of the ride was also good fun.
January 18, 2011 at 14:21
The scenery for this ride is actualy very good, Although I didn't sense any real themeing.
February 19, 2011 at 08:31
Colossus is a great ride until after the cobra roll disappointingly. I've sat at the back, the middle and the front seats and the experience has never really differed. Feels faster than it actually is until after the cobra roll, when it starts to feel rather sluggish. Think Intamin could have been a bit more creative than use a quadruple heartline barrel roll.
Pretty good coaster, but go for Nemesis Inferno for a better, smoother ride.
July 14, 2011 at 06:54
I enjoyed it! Not many people like it, but I am very fond of it. It was my first looping coaster, and it was great. Yes it is bumpy, yes it lacks scenery, and yes it lacks turns, but it is one hell of a ride! It may only reach 45 mph, but to be honest I can't tell the difference. I mean, I went on Rita and Stealth, and I still couldn't tell the difference…
July 14, 2011 at 20:34
That's quite a first looping roller coaster Dom!
July 31, 2011 at 23:05
The Ultra Twister was fun for its time. Unique with that heartline spin. Is that the only one in the US? And it's in storage right down the road? Why don't they at least use it. SFA has too few rides and UT has a small footprint and isn't very tall. I can't imagine the neighbors complaining about that one.
August 28, 2011 at 05:05
The heartline rolls are not rough at all! The only complaint I have is the fact that there are no real turns or TWIIIIIIIIIIIIISTY!!!! bits. It is just looplooplooplooplooploop
September 7, 2011 at 14:21
I rode this in 2010 many times(with the help of the Thorpe Park fast pass). It is awesome! A fantastic coaster; I put it in my top ten steel coasters.
November 3, 2011 at 16:44
The Coastercritic, came to Brazil! There aren't several good coasters, but in 2012 they will open in hopi harri a rollercoaster with the same design as colossus, but with a smoother ride! Theming in Hopi Hari is also excellent!
November 26, 2011 at 12:41
man those corkscrews
December 30, 2011 at 09:02
Rode the Ultra Twister while it was at Great Adventure (years and years ago.. Was probably the 2nd year that it was 'running') While it was a decent ride for the time I remember it was non-operational half the time I was there, might be why they've kept it in storage.
August 3, 2012 at 10:43
I really am not a fan of Colossus. It's too rough for me, the vertical loop, cobra roll and corkscrews gave me a headache from all the headbanging. You can even hear it rattling, it honestly feels like an old, decrepit ride despite being only 10 years old. It was my least favourite of the "big" coasters at Thorpe Park.
The only thing that made it worth riding were the heartline rolls. They were awesome – smooth, intense and forcefull. I was thrown all over the place, but without any nausea or headbanging.
But anyway, I feel that if Thorpe Park had maybe maintained Colossus a bit better it wouldn't be as rough as it is today. I don't think it's a manufacturing issue as many of the other Intamin multiloopers are apparently quite smooth.