Zamperla partners with Cedar Point on Top Thrill 2
Press Release from Antonio Zamperla spa:
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 1, 2023) – Zamperla announces a partnership with Cedar
Point on Top Thrill 2, the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata roller
coaster. Zamperla's Roller Coaster Business Unit engineered and designed a new
ride experience. It combines the ride's original and iconic top hat with a new 128
meter (420 ft) spike; adding its signature to The Roller Coaster Capital of the
World®.
“The partnership with Cedar Point, is confirmation that the investments made in
people and technologies over the past five years in our Roller Coaster Business Unit
are bearing fruit,” said Antonio Zamperla, Zamperla Group President and CEO. “In
every market segment we have entered (kiddie rides, family rides, and thrill rides),
we have excelled because of our commitment to quality and innovation. I know our
Roller Coaster Business Unit will see the same success. I cannot wait until 2024
when we will see this record-breaking scream machine come to life.”
The Lightning Train and its Cutting-Edge Racing Performance
Image Courtesy of Zamperla
Top Thrill 2 is one of the first roller coasters in the world to utilize Zamperla’s
“Lightning” trains. The launch version of these trains were first unveiled to the
public during IAAPA Expo 2022, the largest trade show for the attractions industry.
The Lightning vehicle is something the industry had never seen before: Zamperla’s
engineers worked to create the best roller coaster train in the world, keeping core
design values at the forefront: safety, ergonomics, pure fun, and the total cost of
ownership for buyers.
Image Courtesy of Zamperla
This vehicle was designed around two key factors: rider comfort and cost of
ownership. Zamperla spent years engineering these trains, performed design
studies and talked to hundreds of amusement park owners worldwide. Every step
of the way they integrated the end-user feedback into the vehicle design.
Using part of the old ride’s original track while re-designing the experience
required years of research and design from Zamperla’s engineers. The most
important attribute of the Top Thrill 2 Lightning train is the weight: thanks to the
aluminum-milled chassis and the carbon-fiber bodywork, it weighs less than
almost any other train of this type on the market.
Image Courtesy of Zamperla
The wheels are also a unique project component. They are sized to withstand the
high speeds of the record-breaking experience and use a polyurethane compound
that can stand up to the heat created from a high-speed acceleration.