New roller coaster to debut at Six Flags New England in 2011

Six Flags New England, located in Agawam, Massachusetts, will be getting a new wild mouse roller coaster in 2011. Well, we’ll call it slightly used. Last year, the coaster was re-located from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom where it was Road Runner Express. Wild mouse roller coasters are known for their flat, un-banked track, and tight hairpin turns. The tight turns give riders the feeling that the cars might just fly over the edge.
Theme park fans are a crafty bunch. Recently, plans for the 2011 ride were unearthed from a Six Flags investors report and a local town hall meeting. According to the document, the ride may be known as Gauntlet. Others clues point to the names: Gotham City Gauntlet, Gotham City Transit, and Escape from Arkham Asylum. Six Flags New England will likely end the guessing game soon with an official announcement.

Located in the DC Super Hero Adventures section near the Scream Tower, the 2011 roller coaster will feature 17 hairpin turns over its 1,213 feet of track. Six Flags New England has been whetting enthusiasts’ appetite by posting construction photos on their Facebook page. As you can see, the compact coaster is coming up quite fast. At this rate most of the new ride’s structure will be complete before the harsh winter weather moves in.
To Six Flags’ credit, they’re giving the pre-owned roller coaster a nice little makeover. You can see the Gotham City theming in the aforementioned plans. The theme will include cars themed as taxi cabs, police cars, and Batman villains. The plans show a less immersive theme than the one employed on the Batman Dark Knight roller coaster that the park was supposed to get back in 2008. This is probably a good thing as both of the Dark Knight coaster clones that sprung up at sister parks Great Adventure and Great America were hammered with horrible reviews.
The Dark Knight coasters were enclosed in a building and the theming was so intense, for Six Flags, that guests probably expected a thrill ride, not a fun little family coaster. With this new coaster, guests may be able to see what they’re in for and set their expectations accordingly. The new ride will open in the Spring of 2011 as Six Flags New England’s 10th roller coaster.

[Image credit: Six Flags New England’s Facebook Page]