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How is Formula Rossa Like?

How does Formula Rossas launch and overall speed compa to Top Thrill Dragsters launch and going up the tower?

From Rick Mandee
Posted August 31, 2012 at 1:43 PM
How does Formula Rossas launch and overall speed compa to Top Thrill Dragsters launch and going up the tower?


Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond.

From Bradley Keith
Posted August 31, 2012 at 7:37 PM
I shouldn't respond because I don't go to Abu Dhabi every day, but then again not a lot of people do. I have ridden TTD countless times. I find it's launch better than Kingda Ka. The few extra MPH aren't really felt, and the over-the-shoulder harnesses take it down a little, too. Like I said, I haven't ridden Formula Rossa, but when it first came out, I was (to be honest) really mad that such a weak looking coaster would become new king of the hill. Do I think it deserves the record over TTD and KK? No, but Formula Rossa is much, much more a "real" coaster. FR is simply enormous, and it's quite impressive. The trim breaks are annoying, but going into that turn at, what, 150? Nah, I don't really feel like doing that. Formula Rossa seems like it's showing the limits of what coasters can do, but man, Corkscrew at Knott's, Magnum xL-200, Millennium Force... they all seemed to be about there.

From Andrew Dougherty
Posted September 1, 2012 at 7:57 AM
It's fun.

From Jeff Elliott
Posted September 4, 2012 at 9:58 AM
The launch:
Formula Rossa - 150mph in 4.9 seconds
Kingda Ka - 128mph in 3.5 seconds
Top Thrill - 120mph in 4 seconds
Ring Racer - 99mph in 2 seconds

On Formula Rossa, the moment you are off the launch, you are on the trim breaks. After the first 174ft tall hill the maximum speed on the ride is 65mph.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted September 4, 2012 at 10:19 AM
I haven't really followed Ring Racer because...well, there hasn't been much to follow. But I thought it was supposed to break KK's speed record. Or is 99 now going to be its top speed, with the problems they've had?

From Jeff Elliott
Posted September 4, 2012 at 12:41 PM
I thought the same, Mike.

But according to wikipedia and rcdb.com, 99mph is what it is going to do.

When those two sources agree, I would take it on pretty decent authority.

Originally, I thought it was going to do around 147mph.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted September 4, 2012 at 1:12 PM
So Ring Racer will set no records for speed or height....just for explosions and delays in opening. Sounds good to me. I guess my home state's record is safe...for a few years, anyway.

From Bradley Keith
Posted September 4, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Ring Racer is pretty pathetic. Maybe not because it's been a failure so far because that's not their fault, but the course itself. I'm pretty sure it's just the launch and the turnaround, then it hits the brakes. Dragster and KK launch, go up, and stop (KK does have that hill, though) but the difference is 280 feet, and 20+ MPH. I surely haven't built a better coaster myself, but it didn't deserve any records in my opinion. Well, the explosions and delay... I'll give them those.

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