SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 1, 2023) – Zamperla announces a partnership with Cedar Point on Top Thrill 2, the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata roller coaster. Zamperla’s Roller Coaster Business Unit engineered and designed a new ride experience. It combines the ride’s original and iconic top hat with a new 128 meter (420 ft) spike; adding its signature to The Roller Coaster Capital of the World®.
“The partnership with Cedar Point, is confirmation that the investments made in people and technologies over the past five years in our Roller Coaster Business Unit are bearing fruit,” said Antonio Zamperla, Zamperla Group President and CEO. “In every market segment we have entered (kiddie rides, family rides, and thrill rides), we have excelled because of our commitment to quality and innovation. I know our Roller Coaster Business Unit will see the same success. I cannot wait until 2024 when we will see this record-breaking scream machine come to life.”
Artist concept rendering, Courtesy of Cedar Point.
The Lightning Train and its Cutting-Edge Racing Performance
Top Thrill 2 is one of the first roller coasters in the world to utilize Zamperla’s “Lightning” trains. The launch version of these trains were first unveiled to the public during IAAPA Expo 2022, the largest trade show for the attractions industry.
The Lightning vehicle is something the industry had never seen before: Zamperla’s engineers worked to create the best roller coaster train in the world, keeping core design values at the forefront: safety, ergonomics, pure fun, and the total cost of ownership for buyers.
This vehicle was designed around two key factors: rider comfort and cost of ownership. Zamperla spent years engineering these trains, performed design studies and talked to hundreds of amusement park owners worldwide. Every step of the way they integrated the end-user feedback into the vehicle design.
Using part of the old ride’s original track while re-designing the experience required years of research and design from Zamperla’s engineers. The most important attribute of the Top Thrill 2 Lightning train is the weight: thanks to the aluminum-milled chassis and the carbon-fiber bodywork, it weighs less than almost any other train of this type on the market.
The wheels are also a unique project component. They are sized to withstand the high speeds of the record-breaking experience and use a polyurethane compound that can stand up to the heat created from a high-speed acceleration.
It is a train designed not just to beat records- but to smash them!
Re-imagining the guest experience
Top Thrill 2 is the world’s first reimagined strata coaster and the fastest and tallest LSM triple-launch coaster. Thanks to the all-new linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch system, riders will experience three unique launches:
A forward launch at a speed of 119 km/h (74 mph), which leads into a crowd favorite- the rollback
A second backward launch reaching a speed of 163 km/h (101 mph), climbing at a 90-degree angle on the new, 128 meter (420 foot)-tall vertical spike.
A third launch that clocks in at the ride’s top speed of 193 km/h (120 mph) and speeds over the 128 meter (420 foot) top hat before diving into a 270-degree spiral leading to the finish line.
“As Cedar Point continues its tradition of roller coaster excellence, Top Thrill 2 stands as a testament to the park’s commitment to delivering unmatched thrills and extraordinary guest experiences. The ride’s innovative design, breathtaking speeds, and technological elements will undoubtedly captivate roller coaster enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike. The new 420-foot-tall spike tower will redefine the famous Cedar Point skyline.” Declares Ramon Rosario, Zamperla’s Director of Sales for the USA.
Total Cost of Ownership
Because they own and operate Luna Park in Coney Island and Luna Farm in Bologna, Zamperla knows how maintenance costs impact operations. That is why the company focused on the cost of ownership, working to minimize the amount of time, labor and money required to maintain its next generation of roller coasters.
The Lightning chassis is one milled piece- so there are no welds. This feature is a game changer for maintenance and NDT costs: clients spend less time and money taking care of their ride on an annual basis than both Zamperla’s traditional coasters and those from our competitors.
Another key feature considered is the seat foam: they are designed in several pieces so that the owner can change out in a matter of minutes, instead of taking days to get the seat replaced and re-foamed by a third party.
“Zamperla has focused on innovation as a core company feature and this project represents years of work,” said Adam Sandy, Zamperla’s Roller Coaster Sales & Marketing Director. “The Lightning train was engineered with both parks and riders in mind. It quickly became the basis for our next generation of roller coasters and we are humbled that Cedar Point chose the Lightning train as the ride platform to deliver record-breaking thrills.”
Roller Coaster Business unit investments and innovation: a team of coaster fans
Zamperla features a ride catalog of more than 90 rides and decades of experience engineering rides of all types worldwide. Some of them have become classics in amusement parks around the world. Over the past decade, they have invested heavily in both team and technology: Zamperla is now proud to have one of the largest roller coaster engineering groups in the attractions industry.
Zamperla’s Roller Coaster Business Unit has the in-house capability to design everything: from our famous Family Coaster to record-breaking new concepts like the Double Heart, or ambitious custom projects like the Top Thrill 2!
About the ride
Total Track Length: 1043 meters (3422 feet)
Maximum height: 128 meters (420 feet)
Number of Trains: 3
Vehicles per-Train: 5
Passengers per-Train: 20
Height Restriction: 132 cm (52 in) minimum
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