It’s been a bad few years to be a record-breaking coaster. That’s probably not a coincidence. At the dawn of the new Millennium, amusement park operators across the globe bet big on the “Coaster Wars,” racing headlong into multi-million dollar efforts to build the tallest, fastest rides on Earth. Now, two decades later, we’re seeing a generation of ultra-extreme coasters begin to reach “retirement age.”
And two major upheavals in the industry – the misfiring of Top Thrill 2 and the surprise closure of Kingda Ka – have created a surprising new list of who, exactly, holds the world record for speed and height. You might be surprised what coaster currently ranks as the tallest and fastest on Earth… if only through a technicality.
Records Reorganization
Image: Ferrari World
Theoretically, since 2010, the fastest roller coaster in the world has been Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. This Intamin Accelerator uses the same hydraulic launch system as its sister rides – Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka – to launch from 0 to 149.1 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds. Formula Rossa is so fast that – thanks to its sandy desert setting – riders are required to wear safety goggles on board.
Despite the absolutely stunning acceleration, Formula Rossa isn’t a very tall ride. For all the pomp and circumstance, it only rises 170 feet (and, as coaster experts will tell you, actually has magnetic trim brakes on the way up that hill, so the top speed is immediately shaved down to something more reasonable.) So even though Formula Rossa spent the last 14 years as the fastest roller coaster on Earth, Kingda Ka remained the tallest.
Of course, Formula Rossa has an asterisk by its name right now because it closed mysteriously in January 2024 and has been standing-but-not-operating (SBNO) since. The park has barely said anything about the ride, and no one has reported any sort of visible progress or construction around it, so it’s possible that Ferrari World has just decided to take a break from running this expensive-to-operate ride, or that it’s awaiting a specialized part. After all, roller coasters that used hydraulic launch systems are fast, but fragile – with rapidly-unspooling cables, friction-filled systems, and pressured fluid dynamics that can be temperamental to operate, especially in the unforgiving 120-degree heat of Abu Dhabi.
Like the saying “if a tree falls in a forest and no where is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”, you can’t really be the fastest roller coaster on Earth if you’re not functioning, so technically, Formula Rossa does not count. So, next in line to reclaim the record for speed would be Kingda Ka, launching from 0 to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. Of course, Kingda Ka is also “SBNO” for the moment after a surprise post-season announcement from the park, and so far, everything the park has said (or not said) suggests that the 456-foot tall ride is headed for the wrecking ball, not a reimagining.
Image: Cedar Point
With both Formula Rossa and Kingda Ka down for the count, the next fastest ride on Earth would be Top Thrill 2. Even though Cedar Point’s reimagined makeover of Top Thrill Dragster axed Intamin’s all-at-once hydraulic launch for Zamperla’s more gradual LSM swing launch, it still does reach that all important 120 miles per hour needed to crest its 420 foot top hat eventually. But of course, this ride, too, spent 2024 “SNBO” when its makeover by Zamperla didn’t take off like Cedar Point hoped, so it, too, needs bypassed.
Yep, with the gold, silver, and bronze record-holders down for the count, the runner-up to the runner-up to the runner-up has found itself with the crown. That means that currently, the fastest roller coaster in the world is…
