Saw – The Ride
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2013) |
Saw – The Ride | |
---|---|
Euro-Fighter | |
Manufacturer | Gerstlauer |
Model | Eurofighter |
Track layout | Custom |
Lift/launch system | Vertical chain lift hill |
Height | 100 ft (30 m) |
Length | 2,362 ft (720 m) |
Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
Inversions | 3 |
Duration | 1:40 |
Max vertical angle | 100° |
Height restriction | 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) |
Trains | 8 trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 4 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train. |
Theme | Saw franchise |
Website | Official website |
![]() | |
![]() | |
Saw – The Ride at RCDB |
Saw – The Ride is a steel roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in Surrey, England. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, the Euro-Fighter model opened to the public on 14 March 2009 as the steepest freefall roller coaster in the world, with a drop angle of 100 degrees. It is themed to the Saw franchise, featuring an enclosed dark section and queue theming which makes numerous references to the film series as well as actual props used in the films and other Saw related media.
History
Thorpe Park announced plans for a new roller coaster on 14 October 2008.[1] Thorpe Park created a dedicated website for the new ride, hyperbolically claiming it would be "the scariest ride in the world."[2] The official press release detailing the park's fourth major roller coaster confirmed a development partnership with Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures, and it claimed Saw would feature "the steepest freefall drop in the world."[3] The press release also revealed that "the world's first ever horror movie-themed rollercoaster" would be marketed under the slogan "Face your Fears."[3]
When SAW - The Ride opened, it was not the steepest rollercoaster in the world - Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach had opened the previous year with a steeper 111° drop. However, unlike Steel Hawg's 111° drop, SAW's 100° drop does not have any trim brakes on it; hence, as the drop was 'free' (not constrained by brakes), it was marketed specifically as having 'the world's steepest freefall drop'. This particular accolade was taken by The Monster in 2016.
During construction, the codename "Project Dylan" was used to keep the movie tie-in secret, named after a member of the development team's cat. A section of the Canada Creek Railway had to be rebuilt, affecting a small section of the Samurai queue line. Competition winners and annual pass holders were allowed to attend a preview event, before it opened to the public on 14 March 2009.
In 2019, for the 10th anniversary of the ride's opening, the sign by the ride entrance was repainted, and the live actors were temporarily reintroduced.
A Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor is displayed next to the ride.
Ride experience
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/SAW_the_ride_Layout.svg/220px-SAW_the_ride_Layout.svg.png)
The ride station and dark section are set in a building made to resemble an abandoned industrial sawmill.
Before entering the lift hill, the car stops in front of two video screens and a digital countdown timer. Billy appears onscreen and Jigsaw's voice is heard saying "Game over". The screens then turn off and Billy's laugh is heard. A bell then rings, and the lift hill engages the car, which gradually accelerates as it ascends. After reaching the top, there is a 100° freefall drop passing under large rotating blades, which appear to have blood on them. The car then enters an
It was originally possible for riders to purchase a DVD of their ride experience, produced from cameras mounted on the front and back of each car, but the cameras were removed in 2012.[citation needed]
Queue
The entrance is situated at the back of Saw Plaza. The exterior queue line consists of mock
Once finished, riders exit the cars and walk back down another stairway. The two industrial fans on the exterior of the Saw warehouse are seen on the wall by the exit path. A short video of Billy plays at the end of the stairs. More mannequin parts hang from above, as well as a severed head on a weighing scale (as seen in a poster for Saw IV). Riders then exit the building and pass the Saw Store and Photo Booth.
Closures
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Sawtheride_october2008.jpg/220px-Sawtheride_october2008.jpg)
On 11 March 2009, the ride was scheduled to be launched by a group of invited celebrities, including the director of Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV, Darren Lynn Bousman, who posted an account of his experience on his Facebook profile. The ride experienced a delay, a barrier shut-down, and a subsequent stop, blamed by park officials on a computer programming error. An ambulance was called when one woman suffered a panic attack.[5]
On 5 June 2015, following a serious accident on
Gallery
-
The 100° drop of Saw – The Ride
-
The first drop (left), Immelmann (right).
-
A car passes under the rotating blades
References
- ^ Mann, Parm (14 October 2008). "Thorpe Park announces SAW - The Ride". HEXUS.net. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ "SAW - The Ride: Coming Spring 2009!". Thorpe Park. Archived from the original on 5 November 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ a b Teller, Brandon (16 October 2008). "Thorpe Park announces Saw: The Ride". COASTER-net.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ Rochelle, Derek. "SAW : The ride". Dark Attraction & Funhouse Enthusiasts. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
- ^ Barr, Nikki (13 March 2009). "Panic on world's scariest ride". Daily Express online. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ^ "Saw reopens after Smiler incident".
- ^ "Alton Towers And Other Parks Close Major Rides". BBC News. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.