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Twenty-story drops, 360 degree loops, speeds up to 76 mph. Thrill-riders have a lot to look forward to this summer, as advances in coaster design defy expectations – and the strongest of stomachs. Here are four new rides worth the wait in line.
1. X
Six Flags Magic Mountatin
(Valencia, California)
The Ride: In two minutes, you do two loops and three flips, drop200 feet, reach 76 moh, and withstand 4Gs.
The Draw: You won't know up from down as your seat twirls on an independent axis.
Nuts and Bolts: Twenty-foot-wide wing-shaped cars suspend riders beyond the rail's edges. Giant gearboxes control seat spin.
Nauseometer: 10
2. The Wicked Twister
Cedar Point
(Sandusky, Ohio)
The Ride: You rocket between and then up a pair of 215-foot corkscrewing steel towers, hitting the 72 mph maximum in 2.5 seconds.
The Draw: It's like the elevator from hell. You achieve top speed, stall, then fall.
Nuts and Bolts: A linear induction motor draws 34,000 volts for 32 seconds - enough juice to power 400 homes for an hour.
Nauseometer: 8
3. Superman
Six Flags Over Georgia
(Austell, Georgia)
The Ride: Tilt-down seats travel up to 60 mph through a 100-foot drop and 360-degree roll. > The Draw: It's a birdm it's a plane, it's a three-minute ride that's almost like flying. Big thrill: the first pretzel-shaped inverted loop.
Nuts and Bolts: A dual-station design speeds up the queue. Gravity holds riders in place against padded restraints.
Nauseometer: 4
4. The Flying Coaster
Six Flags Elitch Gardens
(Denver)
The Ride: In a mere 70 seconds, you spiral 66 feet up and twist through a series of high-banking turns – face-first, at 26 mph.
The Draw: The headfirst free-float makes up for the relatively low speed.
Nuts and Bolts: The clamshell gondolas snap around rider's legs and torsos, then flip down for takeoff. Plus: everyone's in the front row.
Nauseometer: 3
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