World’s Steepest Dive Coaster Coming to Texas, See 1st Test Ride

I have always been a big fan of rollercoasters.  The bigger and faster, the better. I remember going to Astroworld and riding the Texas Cyclone as often as I could.  I recall the Judge Roy Scream and Shockwave at Six Flags in Arlington.  I even challenged the very fast and very bumpy Rattler at Fiesta Texas.

Nowadays, however, things have changed a bit.  Actually, things have changed a lot.  Rollercoasters have gotten bigger and faster, and I have gotten older, and my body doesn't respond as well as it used to.  Speeding upside down at 60 mph while incurring several Gs usually produces residual effects that stay with me for a few days.

I bring this up because Fiesta Texas in San Antonio is about to unleash a ride that they promote as the 'steepest dive rollercoaster'. Part of me says, "Go For It!"  The other part of me says, "What is your medical deductible?"

Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger is the name of the new coaster at Fiesta Texas.  It is scheduled to open on Saturday, July 30.  Take a look at the mock-up video of the ride.

Here is the description of the ride according to the Fiesta Texas website:

The device has three 21-passenger trains to lift riders 150 feet in the air, then lock them in a face-first Cliffhanger hold just before dropping them down a 95-degree, beyond-vertical plummet at 60 mph. The machine travels on 2,501 feet of track through an Immelmann inversion, a 270-degree zero-g roll, a 75-foot near-vertical drop, a wild-banked turn, an extreme airtime hill, and a high-speed spiral finale. 

You must be at least 52" tall to ride and no taller than 78", and in my case, fully insured.

The first test rides happened just a few days ago.  Here's a look at how that went.