Red Force is the tallest and fastest coaster in all of Europe.
This is the signature attraction at Ferrari Land, which is the second gate at the PortAventura
Resort.
Because of its scale and similar layout, it is natural to compare this ride to the North
American strata coasters.
So in this video, I will review Red Force and will compare it to the other accelerator
coasters out there.
Ferrari Land was announced back in 2014.
The park would open with just one coaster, but it would be a doozy.
Red Force would reach heights of 367 feet or 112 meters, taking the height record from
a coaster next door in Shambhala.
This new launch coaster would be 12 stories taller.
It also would be the fastest coaster in Europe.
This ride would again take a record from PortAventura’s original park.
Furius Baco was previously the fastest operating coaster in Europe, reaching speeds of 84 mph
or 135 kph.
Although there was technically one faster coaster in Europe’s history in Nurburgring’s
Ring Racer.
That coaster had a max speed of 99 mph or 160 kph.
However, it infamously operated for just 3 days before closing for maintenance and financial
reasons.
Red Force would blow past both these rides.
Six coasters had previously broken the century mark for speed.
Intamin designed 5 of them.
Tower of Terror at Dreamworld and Superman at Six Flags Magic Mountain used the earliest
LSM launches on record to reach 100 mph or 160 kph.
These two rides had their warts.
Not only were they super expensive, but they were difficult to maintain.
Tower of Terror no longer operates.
And Superman is often seen only going partway up the tower, meaning it’s failing to reach
its advertised speed.
Then you have Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan.
Built by S&S, this coaster opened in 2001 with a pneumatic launch to reach speeds of
107 mph or 172 kph.
When the ride was refurbished before the 2017 season, the launch speed was actually increased
5% and you’d reach that speed in 15% less time.
No ride accelerates faster than Do-dodonpa and it’s widely considered the most intense
launch on the planet.
Then you have the Intamin accelerator coasters using hydraulic launches.
Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point opened in 2003.
This ride blasted riders to 120 mph or 190 kph and reached heights of 420 feet or 130
meters.
The layout was simple, consisting of just a launch, giant top hat, and a brake run.
But it was a record-breaker.
Two years later, Six Flags Great Adventure opened Kingda Ka.
This ride was very similar.
It went just a little faster, a little higher, and added a giant camelback before the brake
run.
These two coasters are notoriously maintenance nightmares.
Most of that can be traced back to the hydraulic launch.
With all the moving parts, it’s prone to sensor faults.
And in some extreme cases, the launch cable has frayed, damaging trains and components.
And it has even caused some injuries.
Cedar Point has actually retired the original Dragster experience and are heavily rumored
to be switching the launch to LSMs.
Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi was the last hydraulic launch coaster.
This one opened in 2010 and had a max speed of 149 mph or 240 kph.
This one seems to be more reliable, but it still can’t match the reliability of the
modern magnetic launch coasters.
As LSM technology improved throughout the 2010s, this became the preferred launch mechanism
for most manufacturers.
This static, non-contact method is safer for riders and has more uptime for the parks.
As a result, Intamin no longer appears to offer hydraulic launches on their website.
This meant Red Force would become the fastest coaster in the world to use an LSM launch.
While you wouldn’t accelerate quite as fast, you could still reach impressive top speeds
with enough time and cost.
Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka reach their top speeds in 4 seconds and 3.5 seconds respectively.
Red Force takes 5 seconds to reach a lower top speed.
It also needs a longer launch track and lighter trains.
On that last point, whereas Dragster and Ka each seat 18-20 riders, Red Force can only
accommodate 12 riders per train.
All these changes have made Red Force a reliable coaster day-after-day.
I haven’t seen this coaster go down for mechanical issues in my visits to PortAventura.
Nor have I heard of it having any major issues.
Plus, the coaster is more resilient to poor weather.
Whereas the hydraulic launch coasters have to cease operation in the lightest of rains,
Red Force can still run in light rain.
It will stop running in heavier rains due to concerns about guest comfort.
The one thing that can still cause issues is high wind.
Depending on the direction, it can make the coaster far more prone to rollbacks.
Red Force opened with the park in 2017.
It is easily Ferrari Land’s most iconic ride.
The massive top hat brandishing the Ferrari logo can be seen from anywhere in the resort.
The track is a blackish color.
The red comes from the trains, which are a blur when they whiz by.
Red Force can also be heard from anywhere within the park as well.
The launch sounds aggressive.
It fittingly sounds like a Formula 1 car revving.
Just take a listen.
These two factors make Red Force a spectacle.
The launch and top hat are on full display from the midway.
Further, the park erected bleachers adjacent to the ride.
They want this ride on full display and people watch it in awe much like a sporting event.
The entrance is located by the top hat.
You then have a long, and I mean long, queue line.
There are switchbacks upon switchbacks.
I dread to think how long this line would take if they were all full.
It’s no surprise this is the park’s most popular ride.
People sprint to it once the park opens.
I’ve only visited this park on off-peak days, but I’ve heard it can get quite the
line on busy days.
I’ve heard it can get 1-2 hour waits some days.
But, there are a few ways to beat the crowds beyond just going on a quiet day.
One, join the running of the bulls in the morning.
The biggest benefits of this is that you knock out the ride early and if you’re the first
person in line, you are rewarded with a front row ride.
Since seating is first-come, this is the only way to guarantee it.
Two, return in the late afternoon.
It’s no secret Ferrari Land is not a full-day park.
It isn’t priced like one.
Most people start with Ferrari Land and hop to PortAventura in the afternoon.
This makes the park a relative ghost town in the afternoon.
We were able to walk onto Red Force multiple times in our recent visit using this strategy.
Three, purchase Express.
I only advise this on super busy days.
Express will get you on instantly, but it’s only good for one ride on Red Force and you
can’t get the front row.
Red Force does have a single rider line, but you can’t access it until the final section
of the queue.
By that point, there’s only 10-15 minutes left in the standby line.
As a result, not too many people use it.
It would be a lot more attractive and beneficial if it were accessible sooner in my opinion.
At the end of the queue, the employees admit just enough people into the station to fill
the next train.
As I previously mentioned, seating is first-come.
And most people will understandably rush to the front row.
You can try asking to wait an extra cycle if the seat you want is occupied, but this
hasn’t worked in my visits.
Now let’s talk about the station set-up.
It’s themed to look like a racing control center.
It’s stylized with all sorts of monitors.
From a functional standpoint, you have separate load and unload platforms.
This helps mightily with dispatch times.
As for your loose articles, you place them onto a cart on the load platform.
Then after you complete your ride, the cart will be waiting for you at the unload platform.
The method works well.
The trains are comprised of 3 cars.
They are designed to look like Formula 1 cars and they most certainly succeed.
Each car has 2 rows of 2.
I think the front is the best seat by far.
It allows you to feel the full force of the launch.
Those up front are required to wear safety goggles.
These will not fit over prescription glasses, so just keep that in mind if you’re as blind
as a bat without them.
If you can’t get the very front, I recommend the back for the superior drop.
Riders are restrained by super comfortable overhead lap bars.
I love these trains.
You are so open.
It’s the same lap bar that can be found on Intamin’s newer coasters.
You don’t have the elevated seating like Taron at Phantasialand or Velocicoaster at
Islands of Adventure, rather the set-up matches something like Kondaa at Walibi Belgium or
Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Once secured, you get the green light and roll forwards.
Without stopping, the LSM launch kicks in.
This heightens the anticipation since there’s no countdown.
It just starts.
This is similar to the old Volcano the Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion.
Now the initial kick is nothing compared to the hydraulic launch coasters.
On those coasters, you are violently yanked from a standstill.
It feels like your body will be left behind.
If that’s the main reason you ride the accelerator coasters, you will be sorely disappointed
by Red Force.
However, the launch more than compensates by the end.
The hydraulic launch coasters feel like they reach their max speed in an instant.
Red Force is more about the build-up.
You just keep gaining speed.
By the mid-point, you feel plenty of power.
You start accelerating noticeably faster.
By that point, it feels like a proper accelerator coaster.
The speed will force your cheeks back and plaster you to your seat.
It’s an absolute rush.
While I do prefer the oomph of the old hydraulic launches, Red Force is not as far behind as
you may suspect because I can appreciate the way it accumulates speed.
It feels like a souped up version of Magic Mountain’s Superman.
Next is the gigantic top hat.
You get blasted with strong positive Gs at the base.
Then you climb towards the sky.
One of the most notable things about Top Thrill Dragster is the view of the peninsula and
park at the top.
Red Force’s view is equally as special.
You are looking out towards the Mediterranean Sea and mountains.
It’s a view fit for a post card.
And if you want airtime, you’re in luck.
Red Force does this better than the North American stratas.
Those up front get great sustained floater over the top.
It’s not as forceful towards the back, but you still get good floater here.
But don’t worry, their time to shine is on the descent.
Dragster and Ka feature a 270 degree spiral on the descent.
This is excellent for lateral forces, but it sort of washes out the airtime.
Red Force just features a 90 degree twist, similar to the ascent.
The resultant airtime is spectacular.
You stay weakly levitated out of your seat on the whole drop up front.
Then in the back, you get stronger sustained floater.
Plus you also get nice laterals on the twist while hovering out of your seat.
It’s a breathtaking sensation.
Red Force then has an interesting finale.
The original renderings showed a camelback similar to the one on Kingda Ka.
But we got something much different here.
Red Force hits an initial set of brakes.
They then reprieve for an instant and you hop upwards into the final brake run.
This surprising maneuver gives some decent floater airtime for all.
It’s far better airtime than that camelback on Ka.
It’s a fun little finale.
You then return to the station, ending the 2890 foot or 880 meter long coaster.
The ride is short, but it’ll satisfy the cravings of any speed demon.
Now what about smoothness.
Many people prefer Top Thrill Dragster over Kingda Ka for this reason.
Red Force is very smooth overall.
You’ll feel the train shuffle a bit towards the end of the launch, but it won’t translate
to any discomfort.
So what would I rate Red Force?
I would give this coaster a 9 out of 10.
This is an excellent accelerator coaster.
The LSM launch may start off slow, but it offers a satisfying build-up and exceptional
top speed by the end.
Then you have a wonderful top hat between the views and airtime.
Then you have that final hump into the brakes.
Sure it’s short, but few rides will have you as amped up when you return to the station.
This ride- plain and simple- is an adrenaline rush.
And I honestly prefer it to the North American stratas.
It is very close though and it’ll come down to preference.
While I prefer the hydraulic launches, I think the top hat and finale are what elevate this
coaster above its brethren.
So those are my thoughts on Red Force at Ferrari Land.
What do you think about this coaster?
Do you prefer this, Dragster, or Ka?
Let me know down in the comments.
If you enjoyed this review, I’d appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered
subscribing since there will be a lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here
at Canobie Coaster.
Thanks for watching!