Six Flags Magic Mountain to open X2 Saturday

Six Flags Magic Mountain has announced that it will officially open it revamped X2 coaster on Saturday. Originally opened in 2001, the first-of-its-kind coaster features 360-degree rotating seats, and thanks to a recent $10 million overhaul now boasts fire, fog and sound effects. "Six Flags is known worldwide as the industry thrill leader and Six Flags Magic Mountain leads the pack, always taking thrills to the next level. We've taken one of our most popular coasters and transformed it into X2, delivering a whole new dimension of extreme experiences," stated Jay Thomas, Park President of Six Flags Magic Mountain. "There's no better way to continue to live up to our reputation - Six Flags Magic Mountain is proud to offer thrilling ride experiences that can't be duplicated anywhere in the world!"

More from the press release:

Reaching far beyond traditional thrills, this state-of-the-art coaster features newly-designed, sleeker, lighter vehicles utilizing military specifications and NASA-quality engineering, enhancing the "don't know what to expect next" sensation created by the 360-degree forwards and backwards independent rotation of the seats.

While perched on the edge of massive 20-foot-wide, 38,000-pound, wing-shaped vehicles, the 2.5 minute thrill begins with a 200-foot climb facing the sky before flipping over headfirst, face down for a near vertical plummet to earth through a bank of fog. Racing at 76 miles-per-hour, the rush continues as riders face a monstrous 200-foot tall sky dive, flying over the top of a giant 185-foot raven turn, blasting past a fire tunnel before performing several acrobatic full 360-degree front and back "flips." The mind-boggling 3,600-foot twisting journey on the black and red steel maze ends by sending riders through a "cool zone," concluding a ride experience exceeding the wildest expectations.