Roller coasters come in all shapes and sizes, but not all are unique. Many coasters around the world are part of mass-produced identical lines of roller coasters. These coasters are necessary as they allow smaller parks access to types of coasters they would never be able to get if they were unique.
Today we are running through the top five kinds of these mass-produced coasters you can find around the world, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. We are defining a mass-produced coaster as any coaster with more than five versions made over the years.
5. Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC)
These coasters are not exactly beloved, but I honestly think they get a bad reputation. They serve as a cheaper version of a suspended coaster and feature a fun layout in a relatively compact area with multiple inversions. They are mainly disliked due to the pain they cause, although this is mostly fixed through updated restraints.
4. Shuttle Looper
This ride may seem tame by modern standards, but it gave parks a launch coaster with two inversions in a tiny area. It still provides a wonderful experience to this day with great forces on the loop, despite its short layout. It is perfectly simple in every way and feels like a journey back in time in the history of roller coasters.
3. Boomerang
This is probably what most people think of when they think of mass-produced roller coasters. This classic Vekoma is one of the most widespread coasters in the world, featuring 3 different inversions that are traversed both forwards and backwards, including a cobra roll and a verticle loop. There is a reason these things are so popular, as they put a lot of thrill into a relatively simple layout. While they can be a bit rough, they are a great budget coaster, which is really what we are looking for on this list.
2. Reverchon Crazy Mouse
This wild mouse style roller coaster has all of the best parts of a spinning coaster, with a combination of drops from varying positions and straight sections designed to encourage spinning. It is found in coasters all around the world and manages to mix in some moderate thrills while still being an enjoyable family coaster. Also, it even managed to find its way into a Disney theme park, which is something rare for a non-custom made roller coaster.
1. Sky Rocket II
This is a relatively new mass-produced roller coaster, but it has made quite an impact. Featuring a powerful launch, and some of the best hang time I have experienced on any coaster in the world, this reigns supreme in the world of mass-produced coasters. This became popular specifically with SeaWorld parks but is also found in other parks like Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Lake Compounce. Honestly, the non SeaWorld versions are superior for featuring only a lap bar restraint, allowing you to fully experience the hangtime of the ride's one inversion, an inline twist at about 150ft in the air. The entire experience is also extremely smooth making this a great coaster on its own, let alone a mass-produced coaster.
What is your favorite mass-produced coaster? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
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