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Rank the B&M Hyper coasters

^ For all intensive purposes, the term "B&M Hyper Coaster" is the name of the roller coaster model, with Hyper not being a reference to height. (For instance, check out B&M's website listing the Hyper model http://www.bolliger-mabillard.com/product/hyper-coaster) Traditionally, Hyper is a term used for roller coasters with a 200-299 ft. height range, and Giga is used for 300-399 ft. However, in the case of B&M, Hyper refers to the model, not the height.

Which is to say, Leviathan is indeed a B&M Hyper Coaster. Or technically, a B&M Giga Hyper Coaster. :lol:
 
^Impressive :p

Anyway, my short list:

1. Apollo's Chariot
2. Intimidator
3. Nitro

As I've said before, Nitro is a major disappointment for me. It has good airtime and a good helix, but something about it just doesn't work for me.

I don't really get the hate for Intimidator. Maybe I've gotten really lucky multiple times, but it always seems to have good airtime on every hill. The little helix at the end is lame, but other than that I don't have any problems with the ride.

Apollo probably has the weakest airtime out of the three, but the floater air is really fun in my opinion. The bunny hills at the end are what really push it over Intimidator for me.
 
my top 5:

5. Diamondback - Kings Island

4. Intimidator - Carowinds

3. Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia

2. Apollo's Chariot - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

1. Nitro - Six Flags Great Adventure
 
1. Shambhala, Port Aventura - Incredible first drop and consistently very good airtime throughout the ride. The ampersand turn is actually quite intense and it is the smoothest of the B&M Hypers I've ridden. Considerably better than the others.

2. Nitro, Six Flags Great Adventure - Most of the ride had some great floater and the intense helix added a bit of variety, but the final three bunny hops were weak. It was rattly, but didn't really detract from the ride (apart from on Train C).

3. Silver Star, Europa Park - I thought the airtime on this was better than on Nitro, but it lacked intensity and was pretty rough at the valley of the first drop which didn't get the ride off to the best of starts.

4. Apollo's Chariot, Busch Gardens Williamsburg - There were actually a couple moments of ejector on this one and the first drop was excellent, but the turnaround was very tame and the ride as a whole sort of lacked the exhilarating feel of the other three.


All four are very good coasters though and would all probably place in my Top 40.
 
Well I've finally gotten to ride a B&M Hyper coaster, Shambhala. It is ridiculously good. The first drop feels amazing, I sat back row both times I rode and I loved it. So much airtime, so smooth. Amazing.
 
^Its a shame you didn't try it the front.

I find that all B&M hypers are better in the front. I'm still really gutted that I failed to ride Leviathan in the front when it was running at it's best, the back was amazing but I think the front would have turned it into my new number 1.

I only realised the front was better towards the end of my trip. Nitro, at the front, is the best ride I've ever had on a coaster.
 
^ I agree. My first ride on Silver Star, which was in the front, was by far the best ride I had on it. I only prefer the first drops in the back, but the strength of B&M hypers is the sustained airtime on the hills, and the front (usually) has the most of that.
 
^^Second time I rode I tried but I was told no and they wouldn't let me wait so as back row had no one in it I went there instead.
 
Guess I need to update this. I will say that B&M Hypers are some of my favorite types of rides.

1. Shambhala- just astounding. Probably best airtime I've gotten on a ride. I love floater airtime and this has some insane amounts of it. It is also a very impressive time length. I think it is just about a perfect coaster. Plus that Ampersand <3

2. Nitro- Nitro also has some of the best airtime I've gotten on a coaster. I was blown away when I rode it that I thought its airtime might be better than El Toro. It has some great floater airtime on every hill. I really have no complaints on the ride.

3. Goliath @ SFOG- this was my favorite roller coaster for a long time and for good reason. It has some amazing airtime plus possibly the world's greatest helix. I feel if I re rode it today I might love it even more.

4. Diamondback- This is a great coaster. It had a pretty annoying rattle on it, but it still has some amazing airtime. However, I do find it very inferior to the other 3.
 
One thing I find really interesting is that the opinions on the hypers are so varied and different. The only hypers that seem universally loved are Leviathan and Shambhala.
 
There really aren't any bad ones in the group. They are almost all really well done and quite similar. I just got back from SFOG and went on goliath.

It was fun but Nitro was definitely better. The drop was better, the pacing was a little faster, and the airtime hills at the end were better on Nitro.

However, the toilet bowl helix on Goliath is wayyyyy better than the upwards helix on nitro, that part of it was awesome.
 
I'd say Apollo's Chariot without a doubt! It has a simpler layout than many of the newer ones but the airtime is fantastic. Plus the beautiful scenery really adds to the coaster.
 
Sadly I've only been on Nitro and Apollo's Chariot, and of those I'd give it to Nitro for its better layout, forceful helix and strong, sustained floater. The last few bunny hops are quite strong.
AC was great and an airtime machine, but simpler and the airtime on Nitro wasn't exactly lacking in comparison. Shame it runs so inconsistently now.

Of all the strict B&M hypers, to me the best looking is Shambhala, with an honorable mention to Goliath at SFoG.
I've always thought Goliath at LaRonde looked cool, lots of hills and very little trimming (least from the POV I saw) if anyone has ridden I'd be curious to know how it is...was highly ranked in Mitch Hawker too, up there with Behemoth and Diamonback I believe.

If you will include all over 200 feet, then I see little doubt that Fury 325 has to the best B&M hyper of them all, with Leviathan up there.
 
1. Behemoth.
Easy winner for me this, I just couldn't get enough of it. People go on and on about airtime, like it's the Holy Grail or sumat, but most of the time I barely notice it to be honest. Except on Behemoth! On this thing, I just couldn't believe the amount of fabulous, floaty airtime throughout the ride. You don't even need to stick your arms in the air - the stadium style seating means your arms and legs have the space to just kinda float up on their own. It's hilarious! Then the positive g's at the bottom of the hills pins your arms & legs down again - up, down, up, down - 5 gigantic airtime hills in a row, boom, boom, boom, it's epic! Terrific downward helix, great bunny hops towards the end and buttery smooth throughout. Awesome, awesome ride!

The others I've ridden are pretty much interchangeable in terms of where I rank them, none of them blew me away like Behemoth did, but here goes:

2. Leviathan.
Slightly disappointed with it at first, the layout is a bit simple for my liking, but after a front row ride I changed my mind slightly. Loved the sheer speed of the thing, the 'swoopiness'. And in the back row, the 300ft first drop is balls-to-the-wall insane. If it wasn't for the lap bar, you'd be flung halfway across the car park!

3. Silver Star.
This was my first B&M hyper so naturally I remember it quite fondly, but that was way back in 2006 so I'm not sure if it would hold up as well if I rode it now.

4. Apollo's Chariot.
Probably the least memorable of the ones I've ridden. A nice ride for sure, but nothing about it makes it stand out in my memory. It was 'just another B&M hyper'.

5. Nitro.
This one DOES stand out in my memory... but for the wrong reasons. It was rough. Really rough. The layout, the speed, the airtime - none of that matters a jot if the train rattles its way round the course like a crappy old Arrow. Some have suggested that I was merely unlucky with my train selection, that I somehow ended up on train 'C' on all 3 goes, but that doesn't affect my decision. It rattled. Ride ruined. End of.

That's my lot, but if I was to ride them all I'm fairly sure that Shambalha and Fury would be vying for the top spot.
 
1. Apollo's Chariot
2. Diamondback
3. Nitro

Apollo is easily the best I have been on. I love coasters that are smooth and not very aggressive. Apollo is much smoother than the other two I have been on. I also love the airtime on Apollo not super crazy airtime but the right amount IMO. Diamondback is number 2 because I see it as a combination of both Nitro and Apollo. It isn't as smooth as Apollo but it isn't as aggressive as Nitro. I love all 3 and think they are all amazing but based on my ride preferences Apollo easily trumps the other two. Nitro was the first one I went on and it was really good but after riding the other two it brought it down a peg for me. Like I said though all three are great rides!
 
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