Dragon Khan

Good to see they have kept the best part of Bluefire (last inversion). BF is not really thrilling but I was really surprised at the pure FUN it delivers. I'm sure we can expect excellent coasters from Mack if they decide to go the intense way

I'll post some on Saturday night too. I'll be there for the official opening day. Hope it's as good as it looks !

They decided to paint the trains with Club TPR logo colours ! LOL ! Seriously, I cannot believe how a park like this can apply this awful treatment to my baby...

About Cedar Point: I agree green means Raptor... so far. But didn't they add Maverick when they already had SEVERAL red tracked coasters on the other hand ? (TTD, Maggie, Iron Dragqueen...)

A park nobody has mentionned yet, and which I think lacks modern steel (although I have never been there, shame on me !) is Kennywood. I know they added SkyRocket some years ago, but it seems strange they have never gone B&M...

Opening in two weeks, here is the official tv commercial for the new inverted coaster Oz'Iris. Can't wairt to ride the closest B&M to where I live ! I'll be there on opening day (Apr 7th)

Thanks Steve It just means you'll have that much more time to realize how high up you are! Update! Leviathan made its successful first test run at 6:17PM! Video to come tonight! Cannot wait to see that !

^and 200 km from me About the drop, I saw it in person, and believe me it's a lot steeper than the flyers' ! this combined to the sudden change of direction at mid drop should provide for a nice effect. For some reason, I'm expecting a lot of it especially in the back seat (contrarily to my usual preference of front on inverts)

My thought exactly ! seems like there is no straight track like on Diamondback for instance. I wonder if the splashing effect will be visible in the distance too

The general disppointment is probably coming from the late overhyped annoucement... I would ride it because I liked the Mack versions (one features a very surprising airtime drop into a tunnel, curving steeper further down the drop, funny to look at since lots of riders with hands up suddenly hold on tight lol) So, one for the list but I wouldn't say Pilgrim is better, just because of the length od this one. but it's true: the park managers really overhyped it with the "world record breaking coaster" announcement... even when the official name came out with (di)VERTICAL I'm sure peeps expected more. Me included !

I am going on this day indeed ! Actually, I'll be there on the 31st (First Drop), At Alton Towers on April 1 and at Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the second ! See you there ?

^Trains are from Kumbak coasters and are an abomination indeed. They ruined the ride, which also needs a bit of retracking, and the removal of the first drop trims...

I have a feeling this park might have the best couple of B&M's in the universe. (ok, let's relativise this statement: MY two favourites B&M's, since Khan has been on top of my list since it opened in 1995) I was looking forward to a picture taken from this angle with most of the layout complete since I saw the 2 pics taken from the golf course one or 2 weeks ago. The new skyline is sexy indeed...

^Flight tickets, Nick... flight tickets !

I have just watched those pics on the aforementionned website and they are indeed marvellous. Of course it's early to say, since brakes can always be retrofitted on a B&M (or any other coaster for that matter) but so far, it seems this hyper has been designed to run with very few trims... I can only spot one at the moment. Might we have the wildest of B&M hypercoasters here ? (or I'll anticipate for the people who do not appreciate them: the "LEAST forceless cookie cutter" of them all ?)

From a hardcore Dragon Khan fan (see my screen name): Don't forget you'll never get to see the coasterS from this angle once in the park. When approaching Khan and climbing the fake Great Wall of China, Khan will still be just in front of you, with only the 2 lift hills superposed on each other, and Shambhala heads on your right at once after the first drop has been negociated. Basically, Khan straight ahead, Shamby on your right. Don't get me wrong, I would have PREFERED both rides NOT to be on top of each other, but it will be a lot less "shocking" once in the park. REALLY, only the lift / drop of Khan will be a bit "disfigured". Someone also mentionned the drop tower losing its credibility. Those who have been to the park will realise at once that they won't be seen together from a lot of spots...

^you're right ! this element nearly looks like Kumba's first drop from certain angles, once upwards, then downwards. It might be quite disorienting if taken at a decent speed !

Most parks will be, so even withouth Shambhala, enjoy almighty Khan and why not Bacon too...

I don't want to discourage you, but the coaster might not be open at that time... I'm afraid it's scheduled for the end of may is everything goes as planned. (Reason I booked my trip for the end of august...)

^Jason, I'm sure you will, at a point But one I'd like to take you on in a not too distant future is Hurrakan Condor at Port Aventura. The hugeness of it combined to the tilting seats are absolutely fantastic. Best drop tower in my book ! As for originality, my vote would go to Mystery Castle at Phantasialand.

^Absolutely. they now need a retrack of Stampida by GCI, and an Intamin Plug'n Play woodie, a TTD clone plus a well themed B&M Invert on the other side of the park (low to the ground with trenches ala Nemesis, not to be too reminiscent of Khan) , and I'll then move to Spain

I found this picture particularily interesting for a totally different point of view (photo taken from golf green, courtesy of HaRmAn) It looks massive and gives the impression of a steel twister even if we all know from the layout that it's clearlt out'n back. Enjoy this metal cathedral

^true, I hadn't noticed the 2 trims on the first Camelback of Nitro the first time I rode it. Another example closer to Shambhala is Dragon Khan on which you wouldn't notice the mcbr if you rode it with your eyes closed. Actually, a part that surprised me the first time I rode this looper is how FAST and nervously the train dived into the curving drop that comes before the second vertical loop. It even has a kind of "kink" to it, like entering CP Raptor's brake run, but in a good surprising way. Now it's not a matter of making drama about a trim, but I'm sure nobody here will complain if there is none before the one on the low to the ground speed hill

^agreed on maintenance problem. My once favourite woodie Tonnerre de Zeus was such a letdown last summer... I really hope they return it to its former glory, just as much as Stampida, but I have a feeling for this one, the Kumbak trains are what really screwed up the ride (of course, seaside weather doesn't help)

So far, the only trim in sight seems to be far in the layout (after the carroussel thing). So we "might" have a well paced first half, and this little trim may be retractable like a lot of B&M trims. However, any track can be retrofitted with brakes: look at Montu, or Mantis. So you never can tell. After all Port Aventura trimmed Stampida but this was due to a fatal accident in 97 or 98 I think. But lots of people here could tell you that a trim doesn't necessarily kill a ride, even if the majority of us freak out at their simple sight lol. Another point: Port Aventura seems to like their coasters quite intense (Khan, Furious Baco...) Let's hope they keep this "trend" alive... I'm of the opinion that even if the majority of the hypers they build are tame, if the park asks for something intense, I'm sure engineers know how to manufacture one that delivers. The only thing I fear is that for some reason, the simulation made by apparently well informed fans featured a trim on the very first drop. And since a part of it is still missing, maybe it might come true...