The UK’s fastest and tallest coaster, Hyperia, has opened at Thorpe Park in Surrey. The new ride also boasts Europe’s tallest loop.
Hyperia reaches a top height of 236 feet and speeds of more than 80 mph. It has replaced Thorpe Park’s Stealth as the UK’s fastest coaster, and takes the title of the UK’s tallest coaster from Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s The Big One.
Hyperia is a family-friendly coaster by Mack Rides with a height requirement of just 1.3 metres. It also features lap bar restraints to enhance feelings of weightlessness for riders.
The new attraction soft launched at Thorpe Park last night (23 May), with the opening celebrations – and queues – continuing today (24 May).
Thorpe Park submitted plans for Hyperia, formerly referred to as ‘Project Exodus’, in December 2021. The project was approved by Runnymede Borough Council in November 2022.
In March, Thorpe Park installed the final piece of track for Hyperia. To lift the 92nd piece into place, the team used a 500-tonne crane. The Hyperia assembly process took more than 5,292 man hours.
Hyperia is Thorpe Park’s eighth coaster. It joins other coasters like Swarm, Colossus, Saw – The Ride, and Nemesis Inferno.
Thorpe Park is operated by Merlin Entertainments. The UK-based company has been busy in recent weeks, also debuting Europe’s first Peppa Pig theme park in Günzburg, Germany.
Additionally, Merlin’s first carbon neutral accommodation, the new Woodland Village at Legoland Windsor, opens today.
Earlier this year, Nemesis Reborn opened at Alton Towers following an 18-month transformation. Guests waited more than four hours to ride the new coaster.
Images courtesy of Merlin Entertainments
