B&M vs Intamin

[ginzo]

If this poll had been taken several years ago, I'd have said B&M, no contest. I'd have pointed out that while Intamin was churning out a lot of the same stuff with different layouts, B&M was busy giving us new things: a dive machine, a flying coaster, stand-up designs, etc etc etc.

 

Now, it's exactly the opposite: B&M has gotten stale. It seems that they've perfected a set of inversions, helices, and speed hills, and now they're just plugging them together like someone who relies on Elementary too much when making a ride in No Limits.

 

Intamin, on the other hand, is cranking out stuff like Kingda Ka, Maverick, El Toro, designing radical forces into their rides, pushing the envelope.

 

Ask yourself this: when you hear that a new B&M is getting installed somewhere, do you REALLY get geeked up on it, or do you take a look at the layout and think "Ok, more of the same"? (cough, Led Zeppelin, cough)

 

As much as I love B&M rides, I gotta say that I haven't seen anything from them in awhile that has made me alter my vacation plans just to go ride it.

 

Intamin wins (as of Dec 07, anyway)

 

I'm with you on this. Mark the calendar! B&M is way too conservative to be #1.

 

[Nosferatu]

It's very easy to say that B&M keep putting out a lot of the sam e(yeah Led Zeppelin isn't the most original coaster), but when looking at their coasters for the least few years there is quite a few that turn away from the norm too:

 

Griffon and Sheikra

Black Mamba

Goliath (SFOG)

Phateon

Tatsu

Hollywood Dream

and too some extent Behemoth (train wise)

It where some years they seemed to be making the same rides over and over again, but I think it has gotten better recently.

 

With that said, Intamin has undoubtedly been in the creative corner lately, and keep putting out all this amazing rides. Just take a look at Fahrenheit, a ride that hasn't create that much fuzz. A few years ago this would have been looked at as amazing, but thanks to Intamin this is just ordinary So my vote has to go to Intamin, even though B&M has made some great rides too. The ironic bit as that the older Intamin rides are still considered to be the best (EGF, superman etc)

[Moose]

Arrow's biggest legacy is the prevalence of OTSRs on steel coasters, which is hardly something to be proud of.

 

or their biggest legacy could be tubular steel coasters, but hey, that's a minor thing; noone uses that stuff anymore.

[BeemerBoy]

Intamin, on the other hand, is cranking out stuff like Kingda Ka, Maverick, El Toro, designing radical forces into their rides, pushing the envelope.

Although I really enjoyed all three of those, I'm just as excited to ride a new B&M. Oh, and I'm pretty much gauranteed that the beemer will open on time, won't need an element removed, or constant monitoring of message boards to be sure it's operating the day I visit (aside from a few exceptions...mostly dealing with year-round parks).

 

Ask yourself this: when you hear that a new B&M is getting installed somewhere, do you REALLY get geeked up on it,

Yes.

 

or do you take a look at the layout and think "Ok, more of the same"? (cough, Led Zeppelin, cough)

Onboard audio of Led Zep. Nuff said. Oh yeah, and a brand new park to go along with it. I'll cut 'em some slack on the unoriginal design.

[ginzo]

or their biggest legacy could be tubular steel coasters, but hey, that's a minor thing; noone uses that stuff anymore.

 

Or maybe it's the coat hangers that they designed their coasters with.

 

Tubular steel track was a big innovation to be sure, but no bigger than John Miller's under friction wheels or his anti-rollback dogs. And if you're going largely on the basis coaster inventions, Miller wins hands down. He had over 100 patents.

 

Onboard audio of Led Zep. Nuff said.

 

Rockin' Space Mountain and Rockin' California Screamin' were total train wrecks. As long as they don't play "Stairway to Heaven" at all on Led Zeppelin - The Ride, it should be good though.

[Moose]

Fine I guess you know more about my opinion than I do. I still think the industry is where it is today more because of arrow more than any other company coathanger or not.

 

As far as between B&M and Inta... i have to give it to B&M. Yes, my top coaster is SFNE's supes, but Baco was just that bad.

[AmyUD06]

I vote for Arrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not kidding.

[TopThrill182]

I'd have to go with Intamin. I just appreciate their constant originality. B&M has some great coasters, too, but most of them seem to fall into a state of mediocrity.

[King of Ka]

For me, this is Intamin, no questions asked. I've never been particularly impressed with B&M, although admittingly haven't been on what most people consider the best B&Ms. Intamin, on the other hand, has never failed to provide a great ride for me.

[cycamps]

B&M all the way!!! But I like Intamin too...

[Satchboogie3]

Intamin. Millennium Force, Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE), Top Thrill Dragster (Kingda Ka), and El Toro. My top 5 favorite coasters are all intamin.

 

Plus B&M doesn't do wood. Intamin are creating some of the best wooden coasters today.

[coolhandluke]

Well I haven't been on enough of each to make an educated vote (along with my new status in TPR) but...

My first ride on Raptor last year entailed a 2-minute wait 1/3 of the way up the lift hill during a...mechanical/technical problem... We were the 2nd-to-last train to go before 3-hrs of downtime for the B&M. Now, let me also say that Maverick and TTD also experienced small bits of downtime throughout the day (threatening rain all day didn't help), but I was able to get on those without ridiculous waits. Though I know it is rare, B&Ms DO occasionally have downtime.

 

Oh, I also agree that both companies are exceptionally smooth overall. If unprepared, the turn into the final brakes is pretty jerky on Raptor--but that is really nitpicky...especially considering the rest of the ride (oh, baby...)

[kraken613]

I vote for Arrow.

Not kidding.

 

If you just consider Tennessee Tornado it could easley compete!

[DBru]

IMO, no B&M can come CLOSE to an Intamin coaster! Intamin is always raising the bar, but B&M just seems to be stuck in a rut lately....

 

Come on B&M, show us what you've got! (Sadly, right now, that's not much......)

[MisterP]

My top 3 are all Intamin, but I enjoy most B&Ms I've been on. But no contest - Intamin.

[Behemoth230]

B&M all the way! Sure, Intamins are on the aggressive side, but the Intamin reliability and safety track record sure does not impress me. Also, the fact that new Intamin steel coasters now have OTSR's, inversions or not, it really doesn't look that good. B&M coasters on the other hand are glass smooth, perfectly engineered, sexy looking, and something I can ride all day long

 

So yeah, that's my $0.02.

[the sound]

Well to be honest, I'm not much of a fan of Intamin, i thought Rita and Tornado (Parque De Attracionnes) especially were pretty rough, and i didn't enjoy them that much, compared to the B&M's i have been on: Dragon khan, Sliver Star, Nemesis, Air (well, air is pretty boring, but that's not B&M's fault) and Oblivion. So my vote goes with them.

[2nd coming]

i like B&M a bit more

[wierdo135]

What no vekoma?

(joke)

 

Intamin rides are fun but they don't change much.

 

I don't recall and accident on a B&M that was the companys fault.

[viking86]

I love both companies for different reasons. Intamin built my two favorite coasters, El Toro and Storm Runner. I love those rides for their raw intensity. Tornado at Särkänniemi was also a great experience. On the other hand, Superman Ride of Steel (SFNE) was a HUGE letdown and Colossus at Thorpe Park was just plain rough.

 

When it comes to B&M's, I have yet to experience a bad ride. Not all of their rides are worth remembering for long, but some of them are amazing. Nitro is my favorite B&M. The way you are floating between the seat and the restraint over the hills is just amazing. Its small neighboor is also close to perfection and is comparable to Intamins best rides when it comes to intensity. Built in 93, this B:TR clone is still smooth as glass. Superman la Attracion de Acero and Katun are also worth mentioning as great rides.

 

For me its hard to say which company I like better. Some days I really want to experience the raw intensinty of El Toro and Storm Runner, while some days I just think about how awesome it would be to spend all day relaxing on Nitro.

[Rct3man777]

I'd have to say B&M. They spend so much time designing their rides, making sure they're safe, making sure they're smooth, etc.

 

Sure, maybe they haven't built anything cutting edge in a while but think about it. Nobody has asked them to build anything cutting edge, latley!

[thrillerman1]

I am really quite shocked at how lopsided this poll is turning out. Intamin hands down here!

[gk]

^^^ Superman a huge letdown? Everybody has their own opinions but it's hard to see how that one came about. It's got everything, great drops, airtime, positive g's in the turns, and a refreshing mist tunnel.

 

Gotta go with Intamin just for S:ROS and Millennium Force alone. But B&M is great too. I think B&M's clamshell restraints on the hypers are genius. But I dislike 4 across seating for the most part.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

As much of a Beemer fanboy I am, I'm still going to have to place my vote with Intamin, Intamin AG, Intraride, or whatever they have to change their name to for lawsuit purpose. Intamin is willing to go where no manufacturer has gone before or still dares to. B&M never has, nor will they ever construct anything that will match the thunder created by Intamin. First company to break 100 mph and 400ft? Intamin. Tallest Hyper at time of opening? Intamin. Unless B&M builds a woodie or something with a launch they're just going to build rides that are cool when they open, but once the new train smell wears off, they all just fade into the background. It happened to Behemoth, no one even metions Led Zepplin, It happened to Tatsu, and it will happen to every other coaster they open.

[alpengeist04]

While I have more B&Ms in my top 20, nothing B&M has built in the last 8 years can come close to S:ROS(SFNE), El Toro, or Storm Runner for that matter. Now if B&M could go back to making kick arse rides like Kumba, Montu, Dueling Dragons, and Nemesis then I might have to think a little harder on this. With all that said it's an easy choice for me, definitely Intamin.