X at Six Flags Magic Mountain, introduced in 2001, was a roller coaster that was regularly plagued with problems. It’s innovative nature meant that it constantly attracted large crowds, however thanks to almost daily maintenance problems patrons would sometimes wait up to 6 hours for a ride, particularly during X’s first year of operation.

Six Flags wanted to tackle these issues, so in 2007/2008 the ride was closed for six months for a total revamp, including new trains from the ride design company S&S. The new trains weighed in at some 18,000 pounds lighter than the original trains. Speakers were fitted into the very comfortable seat design that blast fittingly intense music throughout the duration of the ride. Frank Sinatra anyone?

Many visual improvements and additions were also included. A fresh lick of paint, transforming the original pink and yellow to a mean gray and blood red. Two pits are filled with mist when the train dips below ground level and two flame jets shoot — you guessed it — FIRE at passing riders on the final raven turn.

So how does X2 ride compared to the old X? The outside seat will still give you a rougher ride, however this doesn’t take away from the pure intensity and oh my god moments that X2 produces. Plummeting face-first 200 feet towards the ground is something that will never get old. The added effects have definitely made it a better coaster and is worth re-riding over and over. It really is an incredible ride.

Based on scale drawings submitted to the city of Mason, Kings Island will be building a 4,200 feet long Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster, due to open in 2009.

The track will span from behind the Eiffel tower, over Rivertown and into an area that is currently woodland. Very little details are available about the coaster’s actual track layout, however rumor’s suggest that it will contain at least three loops. Whether they are vertical or horizontal (helix) loops is not known.

The coaster will run an unspecified number of trains (presumably three) with 8 cars seating 32 people.

In a week that has already seen a major roller coaster related accident, Cobra at Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus, Denmark derailed late Friday. Four people were hospitalized suffering broken bones. The cause of the accident is unknown, however it is believed that several bolts were replaced hours before the derailment.

The ride was the first roller coaster from the company Ride Tek - I think it’s pretty safe to say it’ll be their last too.

Six Flags Over Georgia has been given the approval to reopen Batman: The Ride following an inspection by state officials after a freak accident which saw the decapitation of Asia LeeShawn Ferguson IV, a 17 year old student that was visiting the park with his church group.

While the ride has met all safety standards, the park has been ordered by the state to increase the number and size of the surrounding warning signs on the two six foot fences that Ferguson scaled.