Colossus is a world-record breaking ride, the first rollercoaster to feature ten inversions. Give in to the Power of Ten.
| Theme Park | Thorpe Park |
|---|---|
| Park Area | Lost City |
| Type | Rollercoaster |
| Audience | Thrillseekers |
| Opened | 22 March 2002 |
| Manufacturer | Intamin |
| Model | Multi Inversion Coaster |
| Height | 98 ft |
| Length | 2789 ft |
| Inversions | 10 |
| Max Speed | 45 mph |
| Designer | John Wardley |
| Cost | £13.5 million |
| Duration | 1½ minutes |
| Extras | Fastrack On-Ride Photos |
Heartline roll
Colossus opened at Thorpe Park in 2002 as a world record breaker: it was the world's first rollercoaster to feature 10 inversions, turning its riders upside-down ten times as its train made its way around the track. It was a record it would hold for 11 years until The Smiler opened at Alton Towers with 14 inversions in 2013.
Even with ten inversions to fit in the ride is well paced and, unlike The Smiler, gives opportunities for respite between the otherwise relentless onslaught of looping manoeuvres. Colossus' inversions are varied and are comprised of a vertical loop, cobra roll (which turns riders upside down twice), two corkscrews, a quadruple heartline roll, and a final heartline roll just before the brake run to make up the record breaking ten.
The ride sits in an area of the park called Lost City, and the track winds its way through various ruins and lush landscaping beside Thorpe's Abbey Lake. The queueline has been well designed to weave beneath the rollercoaster, giving many up close vantage points to watch Colossus roar past.
Colossus was the first major rollercoaster built at Thorpe Park, and helped propel the park into the major theme park league. Sadly, the ride has not aged well. It has become very rough and vibrates itself around the track, with considerable opportunities for painful head-banging. Due to some modifications made to the restraints a few years ago to prevent riders from sticking their legs out of the trains, the seats are very cramped, especially at the back. The most tolerable ride is at the front, which also has the benefit of the still magnificent uninterrupted views of the inversions ahead.
One half of Colossus' double corkscrew
A Colossus train emerges from underneath the rollercoaster's shop
Another corkscrew, another inversion
Riders spend a good portion of the ride upside down
At the top of the first drop
The first inversion of 10: a vertical loop
Vertical loop
A train navigates its way around Colossus' vertical loop
Colossus train
A bunny hop moment to give a pop of airtime
Colossus' main ride entrance
Colossus can still attract long queues of people snaking beneath the ride
Cobra roll
Airtime hill
Heartline roll
The rollercoaster track interacts with bystanders at multiple points during the ride
A Colossus train emerges from the ride station
Leaving the top of the lift hill
Colossus brings its riders safely back at the end of their journey through ten inversions
Colossus' track layout as seen from the old Eclipse observation wheel
