Exclusive: Magic Mountain to unveil X2 coaster
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia will spend $10 million to upgrade the thrill park’s most popular roller coaster, the Los Angeles Times has learned.
The 3,600-foot-long steel-track X will add sleeker trains, a new tunnel and lighting effects to morph the head-first, face-down coaster with 360-degree rotating seats into X2: Xtreme to the 2nd Power, the amusement park will announce on Thursday, Nov. 1.
X boasts wing-shaped vehicles that allow seated riders to rotate independently, head over heels, both forward and backward.
Six Flags decided to upgrade to the lighter, smoother redesigned X2 cars in part to address X’s continuing operational and downtime problems, Screamscape reported earlier this year.
X will close in late 2007 and reopen in spring 2008 as X2.
Would you rather have a better X or another new coaster at Magic Mountain?
– Brady MacDonald / Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
[Photo: Six Flags Magic Mountain]
8 Comments on “Exclusive: Magic Mountain to unveil X2 coaster”
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November 1st, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I’m still not “whoo hoo” for the name change. I thought X was a pretty good name, but oh well. Coaster enthusiasts are already discussing this on all the coaster forums and obviously know what’s truly in stock. It’s the general public which will be fooled hence the longer lines next season. Regardless, it’s time X, or X”2″ got a face-lift. I eager to see the new audio and visual effects, as well as trying out the new train. The station is also supposed to be re-designed so that trains load and unload in the same location as opposed to the current status where they drop riders off in one section, and load in the front of the station.
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 am
i think it’s great what they are doing to x,about a month before i heard about the news i told my girlfriend that they really need to change the paint on the ride and it’s head smashing seats,this is a good step for sixflags mm, i mean look at what happened to phyclone from heavy trains,why get a new ride and end up loosing the best one there, 08 x2 and im sure in 09 a new coaster!!!
from sixflags biggest fan nick russo…
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:39 am
Good move on their part. It will be nice to see them solve the problems with X. Then, all they need to do is a.) replace Colosuss’s wood tracks with steel tubular tracks to smooth that out, b.) put in a Sally dark ride shooter like Scooby Doo, c.) put in a 3D cinema, d.) preserve Deja Vu as it is the last one standing in the U.S., e.) clone El Toro for 2009, f.) continue the rolling refurbs on structures and pathways, g.) lower parking to more sensible 10 dollars instead of 15.
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:20 am
i think its good to upgrade X but im thinking that they should make a new coaster insted since we lost two already
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Wow, for 10 million, you could build a new coaster, so might as well change the name for marketing purposes. I don’t know if it needs a new tunnel and lighting effects, but trains are a must. I maybe would have preferred a new steel-tracked Intamin wooden coaster for the same amount, but hey, its nice for Magic Mountain to fix something.
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I went on X for the first time yesterday, and it was awesome! I can’t wait for them to re-do it, and see how great it will be.
To “Jason”, they need to keep Colossus wooden to preserve it’s history. Deja Vu they need to preserve, I agree. They should give the track and car a little improvement, but keep the design the same, with the two towers and the same inversions.
December 8th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
X is nearly perfect, but the unique design makes loading and unloading really difficult. I was 3 places back in line last year after waiting an hour and forty five minutes, and they decided to add the second train because the mechanism that moves the second train onto the main track moves about as fast as the minute hand on a clock. The addition of the second train took a half hour because they had to send each train on a dry run before loading them. It’s amazing to me that they would have started the day with a single train when both had obviously been checked out prior to opening.
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Does anyone know an EXACT date of wen it will be opening