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[2024] Thorpe Park: Hyperia - Mack Hypercoaster

That has to be the most underwhelming B&M hyper layout I've ever seen. If Merlin have their heart set on cheaping out on a short hyper, I'm glad that's not the option they chose. At least the Brake Run coaster we are getting looks interesting.
 
Not even just B&M hypers, it just looks like a poor hyper layout full stop. I've only done 5 hypers and this would sit potentially bottom of the pile.
 
Matt N said:
For anyone who might be interested, recreations of both the Exodus we’re getting and B&M’s bid have been made by Jamie Rogers:


Perhaps controversially; having recently ridden Silver Star and had my love for the B&M Hyper ride type confirmed, I think I prefer the look of the B&M proposal to the ride we’re getting based on those recreations.

To me, it looks to have far more of an overt airtime focus than the Exodus we’re getting (while I’m sure Exodus will have airtime, don’t get me wrong, and quite strong airtime at that, I’d be hesitant to call it an overtly airtime-centred layout based on what we know), which would have fitted the UK beautifully, in my view (particularly seeing as the country lacks sustained airtime like B&M Hypers offer far more than it lacks brief airtime, in my view).

I also feel that the B&M proposal would have filled more of a gap within Thorpe Park’s lineup; a non-inverting, rerideable thrill coaster in the vein of a B&M Hyper Coaster is something that Thorpe and arguably the UK industry as a whole lacks at present, and Thorpe has no non-inverting thrill coaster aside from Stealth, whereas Exodus, as brilliant as it looks, will ultimately be another variation on a sit-down looping coaster. Granted, I’d imagine it’ll be quite a different variation on this paradigm to Thorpe’s other rides, but it will be a sit-down looping coaster with its elements almost predominantly consisting of inversions, like many of Thorpe’s other rides, all the same.

I apologise if this makes me come across as “bitter that my prediction was wrong” or whatever, and I don’t want to imply that I’m not grateful for the ride we’re getting or don’t think it looks great (I think Exodus has an awesome-looking layout, and it’s certainly very unique!), but having now seen this alternative proposal, I do personally think it looks more my cup of tea than the Exodus being built. When I came off Silver Star last week, I’ll admit I did think “wouldn’t it have been great if Thorpe was getting something like this?” (although as I said above, that’s not to say that the Exodus we’re getting doesn’t look great; I’m very excited for it!), and I actually think the proposed B&M Hyper layout looks pretty neat, myself!
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Not controversial at all, everything you say is bang on. I can't see how what we are getting is the right ride.
 
pluk said:
Not controversial at all, everything you say is bang on. I can't see how what we are getting is the right ride.
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In fairness, though, Exodus will be a very different experience to anything else in the UK, as some of those inversions do look quite crafty and RMC-style. And it is grabbing people’s attention more than I suspect a B&M Hyper would have done; I keep hearing people saying about how it’s going to be one of the best coasters on Earth. And while I don’t think it looks to have an overt airtime focus, I think it could have a fair amount of airtime, and fairly strong airtime at that. My forecast is that it will certainly be one of the more airtime-heavy UK coasters, for sure.

And granted, I think it looks to have a very good layout, with a some awesome and unique elements! It’s perhaps doesn’t appear as much my personal cup of tea as a more traditional airtime machine like a B&M Hyper, but I’ve heard many already declare it “better than any B&M coaster ever built”, so I’m clearly wrong there!

As much as I do maintain that I prefer the look of the original B&M proposal for the above reasons, Mack thrill coasters haven’t stepped very far wrong for me so far (Icon is phenomenal, and one of my all-time favourite coasters, and even Blue Fire was a great ride I thoroughly enjoyed), so I do still have high expectations for how it will ride! And to be honest, when you look at the space that Exodus takes up and the constraints it was built under (Merlin not having the budget to build a properly big hyper coaster, desire for multiple high points), then I’m not convinced that B&M could have done any better! (The B&M proposal I prefer the look of took up a vastly larger area, which the park later deemed unfeasible; had B&M been presented with the same plot of land that Mack crammed Exodus into, I’m not wholly convinced that they would have produced a more well received ride)
 
Matt N said:
In fairness, though, Exodus will be a very different experience to anything else in the UK, as some of those inversions do look quite crafty and RMC-style. And it is grabbing people’s attention more than I suspect a B&M Hyper would have done; I keep hearing people saying about how it’s going to be one of the best coasters on Earth. And while I don’t think it looks to have an overt airtime focus, I think it could have a fair amount of airtime, and fairly strong airtime at that. My forecast is that it will certainly be one of the more airtime-heavy UK coasters, for sure.

And granted, I think it looks to have a very good layout, with a some awesome and unique elements! It’s perhaps doesn’t appear as much my personal cup of tea as a more traditional airtime machine like a B&M Hyper, but I’ve heard many already declare it “better than any B&M coaster ever built”, so I’m clearly wrong there!

As much as I do maintain that I prefer the look of the original B&M proposal for the above reasons, Mack thrill coasters haven’t stepped very far wrong for me so far (Icon is phenomenal, and one of my all-time favourite coasters, and even Blue Fire was a great ride I thoroughly enjoyed), so I do still have high expectations for how it will ride! And to be honest, when you look at the space that Exodus takes up and the constraints it was built under (Merlin not having the budget to build a properly big hyper coaster, desire for multiple high points), then I’m not convinced that B&M could have done any better! (The B&M proposal I prefer the look of took up a vastly larger area, which the park later deemed unfeasible; had B&M been presented with the same plot of land that Mack crammed Exodus into, I’m not wholly convinced that they would have produced a more well received ride)
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There are a lot of solid reasons why this will be a good to excellent coaster, and I'm sure it will be. But on a much simpler level, to various extents Thorpe already has the things this coaster brings, they don't have what a proper airtime machine would deliver. So for me, it's the wrong ride even if it's still a great ride.
 
I think you could make a solid argument for Exodus’ uniqueness and suitability compared to the B&M proposal within both the world and Thorpe Park being somewhat of a double edged sword.

I’d argue that Exodus is more unique within the world at large, but less unique within Thorpe Park. Its layout choices and elements appear very unique on a worldwide scale, but it shares the same basic design paradigm as most of Thorpe Park’s other thrill coasters (sit-down looping coaster). Exodus appears very different to anything else in the world, but at the same time, it doesn’t do too much differently from many of Thorpe’s other thrill rides.

On the other hand, I’d argue that the B&M proposal was less unique within the world at large, but more unique within Thorpe Park. Many B&M Hypers exist worldwide, many of which share very similar layouts to the B&M proposal, but that type of experience is something that is definitely lacking from Thorpe Park and arguably the wider UK industry, and I’d argue that on a park level, the B&M proposal would have filled more of a notable void in Thorpe’s lineup than Exodus will.

It’s an interesting one!
 
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To be fair, Exodus will defintiely be more an attention grabber for marketing. Then there’s nothing stopping them going for a B&M Hyper in the future - it would be different enough to Exodus and the two could coexist. If anything going even taller than Exodus for their next coaster would be more attention grabbing. You’d just have to start its Station near to Exodus and then run the lift hill and first drop along the back of the park, then have the turnaround elements on the island behind swarm
 
This appears to be the best POV yet of what the new coaster could be like. Made in NoLimits 2. I think if it is anything like this, what we can learn for a second time in recent history (Wickerman). Is never judge a ride by it's 2D plans.

 
Skyscraper said:
Remember that anyone over 5'11 won't have any headbanging as their head will be above the sides of the restraint. I'm 6ft 2 and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that back in April.
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Ah I'm 6'6 and can't fit on the bleeding thing shoulders were in agony cause of how tight it was and I had to do the walk of shame anyway, and my mates who have been on find it very painful.

Fortunately it's the only coaster in the park that gives me issues, stealth does too but I can get on it just tight on my chest and shoulders but somehow find it more comfortable than Rita and it's a 100x better ride anyway.

I always queue for the front on stealth but any idea if they have big boy seats on stealth?
 
Very good. But based on track profile alone, very very similar. What they do both highlight though, very well. Is that it looks to potentially be a half decent ride.
 
I said from the beginning that I thought the layout looked very good, and I think those NL2 creations show that! Yes, it might not be the out-and-out airtime machine that I was perhaps hoping for, but I still think it looks like a very strong ride in its own right with some really interesting elements, and it still looks to have a fair few pops of airtime!
 
Rob said:
I have no doubt that what is there will be great. You can see just how much speed is carried in to the brakes though, it is a pity they do not have the budget for a longer ride to use all of the energy generated from the height.
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Could they not increase the length of the pre-lift section then move the station and brake run forward? That would give space for another airtime hill or something.
 
DistortAMG said:
They can do whatever they want, as it has not been built yet.

What they can do and will do though are two very different things.
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Yeah I know it's unlikely. Was just thinking off the top of my head.
Still looks good though!
And bear in mind that the manufacturer (unconfirmed but most likely Mack) will have amended the layout somewhat.
 
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