News about Cétautomatix

A few days after opening, fans could finally see how Cétautomatix actually rode. Looopings shared video footage of the new spinning coaster, which Parc Astérix had opened after months of delay. The story therefore moved from construction issues and opening dates to the real guest experience on the track.

The attraction is built around a test course for historic vehicles. Guests enter the world of Cétautomatix, the Gallic blacksmith from the Asterix stories. The queue contains comic details and references to Nationale 7, the oldtimer ride that disappeared to make way for the project. In the storyline, daredevils first choose a chassis, wheels and accessories before setting off.

For visitors, the video made clear what the family-friendly Gerstlauer ride adds to the park. Passengers sit facing each other in separate gondolas, the ride lasts about a minute and a half, and the cars reach 45 kilometres per hour. With 420 metres of track, a height of 14 metres and a 1-metre minimum height requirement, Cétautomatix is clearly aimed at families. Historically, the article closed the long build-up: from announced replacement to delayed opening and finally a visible, operating attraction.

On 14 August 2025, Parc Astérix finally gave a clear opening date for Cétautomatix. The park announced that the new spinning coaster would begin operating on Monday 18 August. That ended months of uncertainty around a ride that had originally been expected to add extra momentum to the season in mid-May.

The announcement put the previous delay into perspective. According to the park, manufacturer Gerstlauer had faced complications with the production and delivery of parts, which pushed the start of testing later than planned. Even the earlier target of the beginning of the summer holidays had proved too optimistic. The official date made the project concrete again for visitors and gave fans a fixed moment to look forward to.

That mattered for Parc Astérix because Cétautomatix was intended as an accessible family novelty in a park that had been investing heavily in coasters. At 420 metres long, 14 metres high and 45 kilometres per hour, it was more modest than thrill rides such as Toutatis, but that was exactly its strength for families. The late opening made the attraction's story more distinctive: not its scale, but its long build-up and delay became part of its identity.

In mid-May 2025, Cétautomatix hit its first public setback. Parc Astérix had planned to open the spinning coaster around that time, but announced that guests would not yet be able to ride. The coaster was already being tested, yet its public debut had to move further into the summer.

The park pointed to manufacturer Gerstlauer in its statement. The planned mid-May deadline could not be met because of delays in the production and delivery of parts. As a result, the necessary test runs could not begin early enough to reach the park's quality requirements on schedule. At that moment, Parc Astérix was not ready to name a new exact opening date.

For visitors, the news had a clear practical effect: anyone planning a trip around the new family coaster had to adjust expectations. For fans, the delay added drama to a project that had been presented as an accessible seasonal novelty. The technical figures remained the same: 420 metres of track, 14 metres high, 45 kilometres per hour and rotating cars. But the attraction's history gained an important chapter: a delayed launch caused by problems in the final production phase.

In April 2025, the story shifted from planning to near completion. Looopings showed photos of a part of Parc Astérix where several changes were visible, but for Cétautomatix one detail stood out: the track and theming were already in place. The spinning coaster had now been dressed as the garage of the Gallic blacksmith, making the comic-inspired concept visible inside the park.

The update suggested that opening day was getting close. The Gerstlauer ride was compared with Vicky The Ride at Plopsaland Ardennes, yet Parc Astérix clearly gave it its own story and scenic layer. For fans, that mattered because the attraction was not only adding a new coaster type; it also marked the move away from the old Nationale 7 atmosphere toward a stronger Gallic identity.

For visitors, the nearly finished construction meant that a family-friendly novelty was within reach. At that stage, the opening was still expected in May. Cétautomatix also sat within a wider area refresh, with nearby attractions and theming being adjusted. The photos made clear that Parc Astérix was not simply installing a coaster, but building a recognisable new corner of the park.

At the start of 2025, Parc Astérix showed that Cétautomatix was no longer just artwork on construction fences. Photos from the site showed brown supports and burgundy track sections already in place. The first outlines of buildings, walls and themed structures were also visible, all meant to turn the new coaster into the workshop-garage of the Gallic blacksmith Cétautomatix.

The park attached a clear promise to the update: the new family coaster with rotating cars would be unique in Europe. Gerstlauer had now been confirmed as the supplier, a familiar partner for Parc Astérix after projects such as Pégase Express and L'Hydre de Lerne. The mix of a recognisable comic character, a compact family ride and a spinning ride system gave the attraction broad appeal.

For visitors, the real importance lay in the transformation of the site. Cétautomatix replaced Nationale 7, the oldtimer ride from 1992, and gave the area a stronger Asterix identity. There was still no precise opening date, but the construction photos made clear that 2025 would bring a visible new chapter for the Gallic area. For fans, this was the moment when the project started to feel real.

A month after the first confirmation, the project became much more concrete. New construction fences at Parc Astérix showed that the park's ninth coaster would be a Gerstlauer spinning coaster. For fans, that was an important detail: rotating cars create a different experience from a traditional family coaster, because each ride can feel slightly different depending on movement and weight distribution.

The artwork still used the working name Garage Pocatalitix, a reference to a character from the Asterix universe. The drawings showed vehicles styled as spinning chariots, with passengers seated face to face. The basic setup recalled rides such as Vicky The Ride at Plopsa Coo, while still leaving room for Parc Astérix's own comic tone.

The location made the news even more meaningful. Until the end of 2023, the site had been home to Nationale 7, an oldtimer ride with a very different atmosphere. By replacing it with a Gerstlauer spinning coaster, Parc Astérix chose a ride that felt technically fresher and more closely tied to its Gallic storytelling. The project was no longer just an unnamed 2025 addition: it was becoming a clear family-focused headline attraction.

In March 2024, Parc Astérix took the first official step toward what would later become Cétautomatix. A spokesperson confirmed that the French park wanted to open a new family coaster in 2025 near Menhir Express. That meant part of the old Paris-themed area would give way to a ride that could sit much more naturally inside the world of Asterix and Obelix.

The first details were still limited, but they already said a lot to fans. The coaster would have a Gallic theme, riders would sit facing each other, and the minimum height would be 1 metre. The timing was notable as well: Parc Astérix had said goodbye to Nationale 7 at the end of 2023, freeing up a large piece of land for future development.

For visitors, the announcement showed that the park was investing in an accessible coaster, not only in high-thrill rides. It also strengthened the comparison with Disneyland Paris, because the addition would bring Parc Astérix to nine coasters. Cétautomatix therefore began as more than a standalone novelty: it fitted into a broader push to make the park denser, more themed and more appealing to families.