This New Record-Breaking Roller Coaster Accelerates From 0 to 78mph in 2 Seconds

July 08, 2019

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3 min read

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Travelers who prefer lazy river-type rides, avert your eyes. Six Flags Great America, located an hour outside Chicago, has launched the Maxx Force roller coaster to take thrill-seekers from 0 to 78 miles per hour in less than two seconds. The coaster just opened to the public on July 4.

Maxx Force features the fastest launch of any roller coaster in North America — but not the world. In addition to the speedy acceleration, the Maxx Force breaks two other records. The coaster will feature the world's fastest inversion, with a 60 mile-per-hour, zero-gravity roll, and if you're a fan of heights, Maxx Force also has the world's tallest double inversion (175 feet high). There are a total of five inversions during the ride, for travelers who want every opportunity to lose their lunch. Not sure how 78 miles per hour stacks up? Space Mountain at Disney World is reported to go "just" 29 miles per hour.

Six Flags pass holders got to experience the ride a day early, on July 3, for a Membership Appreciation Day celebration. The ride opened to the public a day later, just in time for the holiday weekend, but the roller coaster was delayed on Monday, according to the Six Flags website.

As the summer continues, guests could be waiting in line for hours to experience the ride, which only lasts about 30 seconds. Flash Passes (aka Six Flags version of a FastPass) are available for those willing to pay to skip the line. Currently, only the highest level Flash Pass, the Platinum Pass, is available for Maxx Force. The Platinum Pass promises to move guests through the line up to 90% faster and ranges in price from $95 to $155 per person, depending on the date and availability. Guests can only use the Platinum Pass once per day for the Maxx Force coaster, but it includes line reducing perks for many other rides, too.

Should you wish to use points when visiting this insanely speedy coaster, look at the nearby Holiday Inn Gurnee Convention Center (15,000 IHG points per night) with a free shuttle to the park or the Hampton Inn Chicago / Gurnee that is bookable for 26,000 - 30,000 Hilton Honors points per night with free breakfast.

If going from 0 to 78 miles per hour in two seconds just doesn't seem fast enough, check out Do-Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan. This roller coaster has the fastest acceleration launch in the world, going from 0 to 112 miles per hour in under two seconds.