Zamperla will construct a re-imagined Thunderbolt roller coaster at Luna Park at Coney Island in 2014. The steel coaster will stand near where the original wooden coaster stood, which operated from 1925 to 1982 and was razed in 2000.
The coaster will stand 125 feet tall and will reach a maximum speed of 65 mph. The coaster will contain 2,000 feet of track. Thunderbolt will be built and operated by Central Amusement International (CAI), the operator of Luna Park, entirely through private investment.
The cars will feature three rows of three riders seated abreast, for a total of nine riders per car.
Thunderbolt is the latest in a series of investments to reinvigorate the Coney Island area:
“Since the passage of the Coney Island rezoning in 2009, the City and CAI have built over 8 acres of new amusement parks, restoring once vacant properties with new popular attractions. The amusement parks are now larger than at any time since 1964… As part of the plan, the City is investing more than $150 million toward infrastructure improvements in Coney Island, including rebuilding large sections of the Boardwalk as well as implementing other streetscape improvements which are planned in Coney Island for the next two summer seasons.”
Update: Watch an animation of the Thunderbolt below:
Visit Luna Park’s website to learn more about the new Thunderbolt. View more pictures of the coaster here.
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