TITAN

This hypercoaster from Giovanola is the tallest and fastest coaster at Six Flags Over Texas.  It boasts a height of 245 feet and top speed of 85 mph.  The restraint consists of a lap bar and seat belt. Seating two across with five cars in rows of three for a total capacity of 30 riders, the train makes a U-turn from the loading station before ascending a 245-foot chain lift hill.  It then drops a whopping 255 feet at a 65-degree angle into a tunnel before rising into a turnaround which resembles a shortened version of the hammerhead turns for which B&M coasters are famous.  From that point it goes into a camelback followed by a 540-degree helix.  This comes just before the mid-course brake run, after which riders negotiate an overbanked left turn and enter a second helix.  More overbanked turns follow as the train runs its course through a layout somewhat atypical in that it’s a combination out and back/twister.  There’s a lot of lateral motion before the train hits the final brake run.

I expected to like this coaster a lot more than I did. (I didn’t dislike it; it just failed to wow me.) The first drop was pretty astonishing and the ride has some nice elements but there were a few things that I felt detracted from the overall ride experience.   First of all, the location of the mid-course brake run struck me as odd, as it isn’t on a straight section of track but rather on the approach to an overbanked turn.  Secondly, the two helices struck me as overkill.  Thirdly and finally, the sensation of going around in circles was somewhat dizzying.  However, I suspect that most riders will enjoy this ride more than I did.  Titan offers a comparatively long ride replete with thrills and intensity. 4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Over Texas, visit www.sixflags.com/overtexas.