Just wanted to post about this fab ride: Pics and on-ride video links below!
Park: Europa Park, near Strasbourg but in Gemany, not France.
Ride Type: Mack steel. Controlled spinning cars.
Cars: 9 Trains of 4 cars, 4 people per car. 2 forwards, 2 backwards.
Ride Length: 3215'
Ride Height: 92'
Top Speed: 49.7mph
Capacity: 1600ph
Ride Duration: 6 minutes
Ride G-Force: approx. 4 but higher if you are going backwards.
Theme: Russian Space Station, giant glass panelled towers,
Music: Dance-beat Techno recorded especially for the ride.
Opened: 1997.
I just thought i'd see if/who any of you guys have also experience this 'bizarre' but truly brilliant rollercoaster? When I first went to Europa Park in 2004 I saw the giant reflective towers and thought, woah! That looks. cool!
So it starts. and the fabulous music begins to play - they had an entire album composed (projekt euro mir) for the rides soundtrack. As you sit in trains of 4 cars, in rows of two, back to back - facing forwards or backwards, you begin to slowly move forward and spin round slowly on the track getting sprayed with a mist whilst the soundtrack penertrates your very skull.
Upon turning a corner, a short pause on some block breaks and you begin to rise up the LONG spiral lift. spinning slowly all the time. With Euro Mir, the spins are fully controlled and there are times when you stop spinning entirely. It is not random like Spinball Whizzer.
When you reach the top of the lift hill (it is inside one of the 100' glass towers) a light comes on, so you can see clearly again! You see an astronaut and some space equipment as you make your way to the top.
You emerge, to the outside! And my goodness, it's high! Nearly 90' high in fact. The ride meanders slowly around a wild-mouse style track, around the numerous glass towers which are superbly constructed. At all times, you can still here the soundtrack coming from speakers trackside. As you spin, slowly, you have already amassed nearly 4 minutes on the ride!
Eventually, after admiring the stunning views of such sights as the Matterhorn, the Acropolis, Cassandra's temple, the EuroSat boule and the Portugese castle (not forgetting the lustful B&M they have there) the cars lock in position - you are either forwards or backwards and then.
ZOOM down the 92' banked drop and up the other side at really rather high speeds, approx. 48mph! On the other side, the cars turn through 180' before you embark on the fantastic main part of the ride, through tight curves, banked drops and dark tunnels! Sitting backwards is very intense and the ride does not relent until you come to a sharp stop in the docking station once more - some 5 minutes after you began your epic voyage.
As you depart the ride, you realise that what you have just ridden is one of the most unique, and well choreographed rides that exists and you are truly elated.
What a ride and I am truly astounded that this is the sole one in operation (although a 2nd is due to be built in Asia soon I believe!)
E u R o ___ M i R :W
Pictures:
The rides overview:
http://www.rcdb.com/ig972.htm?picture=4
From afar:
http://www.rcdb.com/ig972.htm?picture=10
And THAT is just the theming!:
http://www.rcdb.com/ig972.htm?picture=13
Close-up of the cars:
http://www.rcdb.com/ig972.htm?picture=12
Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 5497298720
09 May: I have also now completed a review for Poseidon, Europa's Water Coaster. This can also be found in the Rollercoasters forum of TTF.