Which manufacturer builds the strongest hyper coasters?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. With airtime becoming the new “in thing” within the last 10-15 years or so, many parks have opted for hyper coasters as a means of providing airtime. Many manufacturers build or have built hyper coasters, so my question to you today is; which manufacturer builds the strongest hyper coasters, in your opinion?


As for my answer; I can’t answer, as I wouldn’t say I’ve done a wide enough range of manufacturers or hyper coasters to conclude. In terms of “traditional” hyper coasters, I’ve done 2; 1 of them (Mako) is a B&M, and the other one (Big One at BPB) is an Arrow. For what it’s worth, I like Mako vastly, vastly more than I like the Big One, so out of B&M and Arrow, my vote currently goes to B&M, but as I say, I can’t conclude, as I haven’t done a very wide range of hyper coasters.


But which hyper coaster manufacturer is your favourite? Or should I say, which manufacturer builds the strongest hyper coasters, in your view?

 

[pluk]

From the Wikipedia list of hypers the highest in my top 10 is X2, so my vote has to go to Arrow. Although I don't know by what measure it's a hyper, it's not that tall is it?

Second on my top 10 is Goliath, again at 6FMM, so if X2 is disqualified I'm left with a vote for Giavinola, quite improbably.

 

[Matt N]

From the Wikipedia list of hypers the highest in my top 10 is X2, so my vote has to go to Arrow. Although I don't know by what measure it's a hyper, it's not that tall is it?

Second on my top 10 is Goliath, again at 6FMM, so if X2 is disqualified I'm left with a vote for Giavinola, quite improbably.

A hyper is any coaster between 200-300ft tall, although I was referring to the traditionally hyper-style rides, so things like Expedition GeForce and Kondaa (very much in the hyper style, but not quite 200ft) would also count.

 

[pluk]

A hyper is any coaster between 200-300ft tall, although I was referring to the traditionally hyper-style rides, so things like Expedition GeForce and Kondaa (very much in the hyper style, but not quite 200ft) would also count.

Wikipedia lists X2 as not 200 foot tall but with a drop greater than 200 foot. It will not be put in a box.

 

[Matt N]

Wikipedia lists X2 as not 200 foot tall but with a drop greater than 200 foot. It will not be put in a box.

I’d say that counts; by height, it’s no less of a hyper than Apollo’s Chariot, which has a 170ft lift hill and a 210ft drop into a ravine!

And no one seems to debate Apollo’s Chariot’s status as a hyper…

 

[JAperson]

And no one seems to debate Apollo’s Chariot’s status as a hyper…

But they do with ORION as a giga funnily enough!
As for hypers I haven't actually ridden any. I've ridden a lot of coaster but it just so happens that not one of them is a hyper. Something which I wish to fix ASAP.

 

[Tim]

But they do with ORION as a giga funnily enough!
As for hypers I haven't actually ridden any. I've ridden a lot of coaster but it just so happens that not one of them is a hyper. Something which I wish to fix ASAP.

The difference between a Hyper and a Giga is more clean cut. The train design is almost identical, it's purley the height that sets them apart.
But once you go below 200ft you can still have Hyper coaster model types that are clearly more Hyper than Mega coasters. At which point the rule becomes "if it rides like a Hyper just class it as one". For the sake of this poll I wouldn't count X2 as it doesn't ride like a Hyper, but technically yes it is one.
I'd count Orion as a Giga because it does have a 300ft drop (according to RCDB) and its the drop that really matters. I'd also be willing to count a ride that's in the range of 10 feet under as that's near enough a rider wouldn't notice. But any lower and its clearly a Hyper.

 

[Matt N]

Ooh, the poll results are interesting so far! Only B&M, Arrow, and Undecided have any votes… how come no-one’s gone for Intamin, as I was under the impression that Intamin were very popular?

I’ve certainly heard a lot about Skyrush, EGF, Superman etc., and I’ve been told that even the less rated ones like Hyperion still “absolutely [annihilate] every B&M hyper”.

 

[Rob]

I think it depends what you want. If you want a solid, reliable, high capacity coaster that provides a mixture of floater and some ejector airtime then you will struggle to go wrong with a B&M.

If you want to push the boundaries some more with an intense ride experience and more sensational airtime then you'd go with Intamin.

 

[JAperson]

I think it depends what you want. If you want a solid, reliable, high capacity coaster that provides a mixture of floater and some ejector airtime then you will struggle to go wrong with a B&M.

If you want to push the boundaries some more with an intense ride experience and more sensational airtime then you'd go with Intamin.

Hence why parks prefer B&M hypers. Funnily enough I watched a great video on it the other day that you'll probably enjoy @Matt N by a creator I hadn't heard of before. They seem to be relatively new:

Definitely worth a watch

 

[D4n]

B&M are the undisputed kings of the hyper coaster.

Silver Star and Shambhala are both significantly better than the Intamin (Hyperion) and Arrow (Big One) hypers that I have ridden.

The ride experience is consistent on those rides and the quality is pretty much there across all of their builds.

 

[Funcone]

Opinions have definitely changed since I first became an enthusiast. Rides like Expedition G Force (Holiday Park) and Superman the Ride (Six Flags New England) always used to top the polls. These days, everyone's talking about the UK getting an RMC. It used to be an Aquatrax or an Intamin hyper.

B&M hypers certainly have epic throughputs.

 

[Rick]

I could probably pick a great ride and a clanger from each of those manufacturers.

Shambhala is one of my favourites, absolutely no doubt, but then you have something less interesting like Raging Bull, also from B&M. Equally, Intamin can build something brilliant like Expedition GF but also something not as interesting like Thunder Dolphin (saved only by its location).

You do have to take the Arrow & Togo rides for what they are, the latter was the pioneer of this technology and Togo were pretty early to the party too, leading the way with rides like Bandit, etc. The pretty shocking nature of a lot of their rides means they're often written out of the story.

Maybe I am old school @Funcone, Expedition GF and Superman are the examples I would always leap to for great examples of that style of ride.

 

[Danny]

I suspect if Liseberg had gone for the 'Green Fire' project rather than Helix, Mack would be ranking somewhat in the polls as they would have a much more accessible hyper coaster without having to travel to the opposite side of the planet.

B&M certainly build some of the strongest hyper coasters, but on the flip side of the coin, they also build some of the weakest. The likes of Intimidator and Apollo's Chariot fall incredibly short of a huge plethora of coasters, particularly when stacked against the likes of Nitro, Silver Star and Shambhala. The same can be said for Intamin however when in one breath they produce Skyrush and in the other, they come up with Hyperion.

 

[Benjsh]

B&M are the undisputed winners in the hyper category no question.

They also lead the way in Wing, Dive, Floorless and Inverted coasters too. They are the number 1 manufacturer in the business for me. Yes I'm a B&M fanboy but I don't think any of the above in untrue.

 

[JAperson]

They also lead the way in Wing, Dive, Floorless and Inverted coasters too.

I have to agree wholeheartedly. They are the best, safest and most reliable manufacturer and my personal favourite.

 

[Danny]

They're certainly the best at some coaster types, but not all of them. Gerst run rings around B&M for balls-to-the-wall intensity on plenty of their coasters, as do Intamin.

They seem to be dipping their toes in launches a little bit more now, but even then they will never stack up against the established launch manufacturers.

B&M used to be the Rolls Royce of manufacturers for smoothness, but even now RMC and Vekoma are out-pacing them in these areas, in addition to air time.

The only coaster type I think B&M have truly nailed is the invert. Perhaps there will come a park that is willing to really show the potential of Vekoma's STC with a bespoke, thrill driven layout, but nobody has since matched B&M in this department.

 

[Rob]

B&M certainly build some of the strongest hyper coasters, but on the flip side of the coin, they also build some of the weakest. The likes of Intimidator and Apollo's Chariot fall incredibly short of a huge plethora of coasters, particularly when stacked against the likes of Nitro, Silver Star and Shambhala. The same can be said for Intamin however when in one breath they produce Skyrush and in the other, they come up with Hyperion.

LIES! Complete and utter lies!

 

[Matt N]

Out of interest, why is it that many on this site think Hyperion is so average? I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews elsewhere on the internet, with the common consensus being that it “defecates on every B&M hyper coaster”…

LIES! Complete and utter lies!

I’m guessing you’re an Apollo fan @Rob?

 

[Rob]

I’m guessing you’re an Apollo fan @Rob?

I do quite like it, yes. It is not the best B&M hyper but it is very good fun. The second half of the ride in particular is very good; if you put the first half of Diamondback with the second half of Apollo's Chariot then you really would have a top coaster!