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Will 2017 be a down year for coasters?

My immediate answer is an emphatic yes. There are some nice coasters opening up next year, but nothing particularly special.

However, some of the disappointment with 2017 must come from how spectacular 2016 was. Maybe the two best wooden coasters (Lightning Rod and Wildfire) in the world opened up; a fun and totally gorgeous B&M hyper (Mako) opened; Taron looks like fun; Flying Aces is an Intamin hyper and is probably tons of fun; and I'm sure I'm missing some nice additions.
 
2018 is already looking miles better than 2017 which is rather depressing. Nothing in the UK (bubbleworks re theme), barely a scraping in Europe (dull accelerator + mack shuttle), nothing huge in the US (Gravity Group at fun spot seems the biggest / best) I know im discounting Asia but bar RoomRaider and obliviously VH coasters, construction news really struggles to get over to the west.
 
Can't we just skip right over to 2018 please?
I am somewhat curious about that Star Trek cred in Movie Park, and even more curious if the park will be able to maintain it throughout the years.
 
As someone who tends to be more Asia focused 2017 is a pretty solid year especially as usual in China but theres some big projects elsewhere

Anyone not excited for Warner Brothers Australia project should be.
China has several really exciting wooden coasters coming including 2 from GCI and another batch of Gravity Group coasters which are arguably the best traditional wooden coasters around right now.
Not to mention a batch of B&M coasters including a Dive Machine and a Wing Coaster. And the recently unveiled Vekoma sitdown looper coaster for Fantawild
Theres an Intamin mega lite opening at Visionland in 2017.
Work just got underway on am Intamin beyond vertical coaster on Hainan as well and perhaps we will finally see the 4th S&S launch coaster finally go vertical.
Vietnam has that Vekoma Firestorm coming up as well as the worlds last Vekoma SLC of this generation (Thats a reason to be excited if nothing else :p) and dont forget Time Machines return at Ocean Park in Ha Long Bay.
Malaysia and Russia have Intamin 10 looper coming up
Korea has a B&M Griffon Clone under construction
Not to mention the Mack launched coaster at Motiongate and the accomanying Gerst launch coaster too. Oh and the SFX coaster an Intamin launched coaster at Ferrari World.

Then again 2018 already looks strong in Asia too with the Shambhala inspired hyper at Hotgo and their wing coaster, Another Vekoma Firestorm, The worlds tallest wing coaster at Wanda Wuxi, An impulse coaster through an underwater tunnel a second B&M junior coaster, a Premier launch coaster at Wanda Guangzhou and one the massive one in Qatar as well.

2017 may be quiet in the USA and Europe but theres a ton of stuff going on elsewhere. And I for one am pretty excited about it :)
 
Asia is winning
Is the S&S launch coaster a clone of the previous 3?

Nope. New one with inversions. Tracks been on site for ages and more info can be found here http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/threads/sun-tzu-culture-park-unknown-launched-s-s.37837/

IMAG1202_1-1024x833.jpg
 
Also, going to be a bit pedantic and point out that the other three aren't clones. The Shenzhen and Wuhan models are mirrored, so yeah, they're basically the same, but the Beijing one has a different layout.

This new one was supposed to open ages ago. Plus, it's nowhere near anything. Such a spiteful coaster.
 
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