Top Thrill 2

Top Thrill 2 is a launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. The ride originally opened as Top Thrill Dragster in 2003, becoming the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first ever strata coaster. The original was an Accelerator Coaster model from Intamin designed by Werner Stengel, featuring a height of 420 feet (130 m) and a drop distance of 400 feet (120 m). It could accelerate from 0 to 120 mph (190 km/h) in 3.8 seconds and was themed to Top Fuel drag racing, with a launch track designed to resemble a dragstrip. Although its height and speed records were surpassed by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2005, the ride consistently ranked as one of the world's top steel coasters.

Following a serious incident in 2021, in which a guest was severely injured while standing in line, Top Thrill Dragster was abruptly shut down and remained closed with an uncertain future. Nearly two years later, Zamperla was hired to create a new version of the ride, adding a second 420-foot (130 m) tower and replacing Intamin's hydraulic launch in favor of a linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch system. Though less powerful, the LSM launch propels the train three times in a new launch sequence – forward, backward, and forward again – to reach the same maximum speed as the original design.

The coaster reemerged as Top Thrill 2 on May 4, 2024, featuring a new, longer riding experience. However, its inaugural season was cut short after only a week of operation, when an issue with its trains required modifications. The ride eventually reopened the following season in 2025, and after Kingda Ka closed, it briefly recaptured the title as the tallest roller coaster in the world. Falcons Flight claimed the title when it opened later that year.

According to Rob Decker, Vice President of Planning and Design, the park began working on a new project shortly after the debut of Millennium Force in 2000. The goal, as he stated to Intamin, "was to set another world record, and our parameters were the tallest, fastest roller coaster". After considering modern propulsion methods used on coasters at the time, Intamin ultimately decided to design a new hydraulic launch system that would provide the most cost effective solution in a small footprint.

After the 2001 season ended, one of the park's Dodgem rides, which was located across from Magnum XL-200's entrance, was relocated to Michigan's Adventure to clear the way for the new ride. In April 2002, work began on the concrete foundation. The concrete footings were kept hidden behind a fence when the park opened for the 2002 season. In August, an informal announcement from Cedar Point confirmed the park was building a new ride for the 2003 season. Track pieces identified as Intamin were previously spotted near Mean Streak. Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx began in the fall season, months before the formal announcement. By October, the roller coaster had reached 200 feet (61 m) in height, and the highest peak was topped off in December. The construction of the record-breaking top hat element, which stands 420 feet tall (130 m), required the use of two cranes that could extend up to 480 feet (150 m) in height. At the time, only four such cranes existed in the US.

An official announcement revealing details on the new ride was made the following month on January 9, 2003. Officials for the park stated the goal was to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 420 feet (130 m) in height and accelerating up to 120 mph (190 km/h) in 4 seconds. Its height also classified it as the world's first strata coaster, which is any full-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop between 400 to 499 feet (122 to 152 m). The large investment tied it with Millennium Force as being the most expensive in park history. The structure was built by Intamin's subcontractor Stakotra. In March, Cedar Fair registered a trademark for the name "Top Thrill Dragster".

Top Thrill Dragster's media day was held on May 1, 2003, and it officially opened to the public three days later. It became the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, surpassing Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain in height, which had opened in 1997, and surpassing Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland in speed, which had opened in 2001. It lost both records to Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in May 2005. Intamin designed both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster, and the two shared a similar design and layout that differed primarily by theme and an additional hill featured on Kingda Ka. Shortly after it opened, a faulty valve on the hydraulic system caused a short-term closure. The ride continued to experience a variety of issues dealing with its hydraulic system and launch cable, which frequently led to downtime early on in its tenure.

During the 2017 season's opening weekend, Cedar Point temporarily renamed the ride "Top Thrill Cubster", referencing a lost wager with Six Flags Great America over the World Series. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, timed boarding passes called "Access Passes" were used temporarily to comply with social distancing guidelines.