News about Stealth

On 15 March 2024, Stealth gained a new international profile. Looopings reported that Thorpe Park now calls the Intamin launch coaster the world’s fastest accelerating roller coaster. The reason was the permanent closure of Do-Dodonpa at Japan’s Fuji-Q Highland, long known for extreme acceleration but no longer returning after safety issues. Thorpe Park also adjusted Stealth’s specifications: no longer 0 to 129 kilometres per hour in 2.3 seconds, but in 1.8 seconds. For visitors, the ride itself did not visibly change, but its marketing value did. A coaster from 2006 suddenly received a world-record story on its eighteenth birthday, just as the area around it was being refreshed.

In February 2019, Stealth appeared in the news because of a deliberate Thorpe Park joke. The park announced on social media that the launch coaster would produce glitter with every launch, a wink at a viral theme park trend. Looopings made clear that it was a parody rather than a real modification. Still, the report is interesting for the attraction’s history: Thorpe Park chose Stealth for the joke because its launch is so recognisable and forceful. The coaster was described as 62.5 metres tall, 400 metres long and one of Europe’s fastest. Even a nonsense announcement worked because guests immediately understand the explosive start that defines Stealth.

Three days after the selfie-stunt report, the consequences followed: Ally Law received a lifetime ban from Merlin Entertainments attractions. The YouTuber had climbed several structures after closing, including the 62.5-metre Stealth, without a safety harness. Thorpe Park and Merlin responded sharply because the action was life-threatening and undermined the safety culture around major rides. For Stealth, this is a relevant follow-up to the earlier stunt news. The coaster was not only the backdrop for a viral video, but also the trigger for a strong sanction that showed how seriously parks take such incidents. The article places Stealth at the intersection of iconic height, online fame and practical safety.

In August 2017, Stealth returned to the news because of another illegal climbing stunt. YouTuber Ally Law entered Thorpe Park after closing and took selfies on the 62.5-metre launch coaster, without a safety harness and without the park’s knowledge. Looopings noted that Stealth had already been climbed by other intruders earlier that year, making the incident more than an isolated curiosity. For visitors, it mainly underlined the danger: a structure normally experienced under strict control and protection was used as an extreme-risk backdrop. For fans, it also says something about Stealth’s visual power. The top hat is a landmark that attracts attention even outside the ride experience.

In April 2017, Stealth became the scene of a dangerous trespassing stunt. A group of youths entered Thorpe Park after closing time and climbed onto the more than sixty-metre-tall coaster. Colossus was also climbed, but Stealth gave the footage its dramatic scale through its height and exposed structure. The stunt ended with security intervention, an official park ban and Thorpe Park announcing legal steps. For the attraction page, this is not a cheerful record fact, but it is a clear chapter in Stealth’s public history. The ride is so iconic that it draws attention not only while running, but also as a forbidden climbing target in viral videos.

In March 2017, Thorpe Park used Stealth as the stage for a striking publicity stunt. Maintenance staff climbed the 62-metre launch coaster with cake and champagne to mark two hundred years of roller coaster history. Looopings linked the stunt to the park’s reopening after the winter break and to the legacy of the first modern coasters. For visitors, the action mainly showed the scale of Stealth: the climb reportedly took twenty minutes, while a normal ride launches passengers to more than 128 kilometres per hour in less than two seconds. The article underlines how Thorpe Park uses Stealth as a symbol of British thrill-ride culture: tall, fast and instantly recognisable.

In June 2015, the aftermath of the serious Smiler accident affected the wider British theme park sector. Merlin Entertainments introduced extra safety measures on multi-train coasters, and several rides remained temporarily closed. For Thorpe Park, Looopings reported that Saw - The Ride was shut, while Stealth and Colossus were also unavailable because of separate technical problems. For visitors, that meant one of the park’s biggest landmarks was missing during a period when coaster safety was under intense scrutiny. In Stealth’s history, the report matters because the launch coaster is not only defined by speed; it also sits within the broader story of reliability, inspections and confidence around major British thrill rides.