Parc Astérix: Tonnerre 2 Zeus, a whole new experience
3 May 2022/ Parc Astérix invites guests to discover its iconic wooden coaster, now fully renovated /
One of the most popular attractions at the Parc Astérix theme park in France, Tonnerre de Zeus, is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, as from April 9 the 1.2km long wooden rollercoaster is back with a brand new look: Tonnerre 2 Zeus. With a total budget of 7 million euros, the project for the new Tonnerre 2 Zeus began 4 years ago and was entrusted to Gravity Group (which began work in 2018) with the aim of providing a major overhaul of the attraction and enhancing in particular its comfort and sustainability, capacity and appeal.
Eighty-five percent of the track has been renovated and the shape of the rails has been redesigned in order to improve comfort. Moreover, to optimize the rollercoaster performance a magnetic braking system that is gentler on riders has been installed, and the attraction’s control system has been redesigned.
To update the experience and make it more appealing, the trains have also been replaced by 2 new 13-seat trains featuring the final row of 2 seats facing backwards. New features have also been added to the track, such as a 90-degree inclined bump (unique in Europe on a traditional wooden roller coaster), 2 high speed turns, a tunnel with special effects and 2 additional bumps providing a grand total of 17 airtimes.
Games & Parks Industry April, page 42
Photos Courtesy: Parc Astérix / A. Sobczyk
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