Video: Take A Virtual Ride On The New Thunderbolt

I’m not the biggest roller coaster fan. I’ve been on a lot of them, but because I am prone to motion sickness I tend to avoid them [Ed. — Wuss.]. That’s why I appreciate this video of the Thunderbolt, a virtual look at the new coaster headed to Coney Island, because I get all the taste of what the ride offers, without actually having to climb aboard.

The video, which begins with a glimpse of the old Thunderbolt, quickly shoots you to the futuristic new one which will drop paying customers at speeds upwards of 65 mph. The metal coaster is rather unconventional, using an elevator of sorts to bring coaster cars full of patrons up to the top of the ride, dumping them on the tracks, and letting gravity take over – as opposed to the traditional  clacking chain hoisting a car up the tracks as part of a closed loop.

Last week, we reported that the folks at Luna Park were rebuilding the Thunderbolt at a cost of $10 million. The new thrill ride will be adjacent to the Brooklyn Cyclones ballpark and will be operational in the summer of 2014. Until then, press play on the video above and dream about all the cotton candy you are likely to throw up after rocketing around that loop. Wooo!