The world’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster is now located in Spain and is only two hours from the UK — it reaches a speed of 112mph in five seconds and travels up to 112 metres high
The world’s tallest and faster rollercoaster is now located in Spain, and reaches top speeds of 112mph.
Named Red Force, the rollercoaster located at the Ferrari Land amusement park near Barcelona, used to be number four on the list, but has since risen to secure the top spot. The ride, which is the iconic Ferrari red in colour, is shaped like a top hat, and measures 112 metres tall. Each train can carry 12 people in six rows of two and all accelerate from zero to 112mph in just five seconds.
The ride then ascents to the top of a steel structure and then drops back down and twists 90 degrees. After this, the ride travels through a flat section, and then ascends another hill, however, this time smaller.
The ride can accommodate as many as 1,200 passengers per hour, and the minimum height to be able to enjoy the ride is 1.4 metres. Manufactured by Intamin, which is also responsible for UK’s Stealth ride at Thorpe Park, the rollercoaster is powered by linear synchronous motors — which is a more cost effective, quieter means of acceleration than hydraulics are.
Originally, the 880-metre track of Red Force was built in 2017 and used to hold the fourth spot on the chart for the world’s tallest and faster rollercoaster. The Ferrari Land park, where the rollercoaster is located, is part of a larger tourist attraction called PortAventura World.
The park also contains the Shambhala rollercoaster, which used to be the tallest rollercoaster in Europe before it was overtaken by Red Force. In total there are 16 rides and attractions in Ferrari Land, including rides available for smaller children.
There are three parks in total at PortAventura World — Ferrari Land, PortAventura Park and Caribe Aquatic Park. PortAventura Park has 60 attractions and daily shows and Caribe Aquatic Park has 16 attractions and pools. The attraction park also features six onsite hotels.
An adult ticket that gives access to all three parks, across three days, costs €61.50 (£51.13) per adult, and €54 (£44.89) per child aged between four and 10-years-old. Visitors can get to PortAventura World in one hour from any terminal at El Prat Airport (Barcelona) or in just 15 minutes from Reus Airport.
Before Red Force was built, two hydraulically-powered Intamin rides in America — Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster — featured in the top spots. Kingda Ka overtook Dragster as the tallest and fastest in the world in 2005. However, a series of problems and repairs has led to both rollercoasters being dethroned from the top spot.
Kingda Ka is currently still in the top five, but the Six Flags Adventure theme park in New Jersey confirmed that it will close for good after being “surpassed by modern advancements”, reports The Sun. The park said a “multi-world-record-breaking launch roller coaster” will be built in its place.