From Arthur Levine,
Your Guide to Theme Parks.
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May 22 2007

Griffon is now open! Read my Griffon Coaster Review.

Sister park Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Florida introduced North America's first diving coaster, SheiKra, in 2005. For the 2007 season, Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Virginia will get its own diving coaster, Griffon. As their name implies, diving coasters climb a lift hill, momentarily hang precariously at the top, and then dive 90 degrees (that's straight down folks). Griffon will deliver the world's tallest dive drop.

Griffon Stats

• Type of coaster: Diving
• Height: 205 feet
• First drop: 205 feet
• Top speed: 71 mph
• Track length: 3,108 feet
• Ride time: 3 minutes

More Griffon Info

• Griffon Preview Photo Gallery

Griffon will floor you

SheiKra has been wowing riders in Tampa, so there's great anticipation for the Virginia park's new ride. Griffon will not only go higher and faster than its sister park's dive coaster, it will also use modified trains to deliver a floorless experience. That means there will be no track above, no floor below, no car on the sides to envelop riders--just a train of flying seats that will make the incredible dive even more wild.

Griffon will actually offer two dives. After the initial 205-foot drop, the train will navigate some elements (including an Immelmann loop), ascend a 130-foot hill, momentarily hang again, and then dive 130 feet straight down.

The unique train will actually consist of one massive car with three rows of ten seats. That should give every passenger a great ride (there's unlikely to be any difference between the first or last rows). Griffon's car will use "stadium seating" to give all passengers a great view of the frenetic action.

Like Busch Gardens Europe's super-smooth and exhilarating hypercoaster, Apollo's Chariot, Griffon will be manufactured by the Swiss ride wizards, Bolliger & Mabillard (also known as B&M). If history is a guide, it's a pretty sure bet that Griffon will be silky smooth.

Griffon, which Busch Gardens says evokes a mythical beast that's half lion and half eagle, will be located in the park's France section. It will mark Busch Gardens Williamsburg's 5th coaster and will round out its impressive arsenal in grand style.

To view pictures of the new coaster, go to the Griffon Preview Photo Gallery.