Colossus, Thorpe Park

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.