Don't look down! This giant vertical drop roller coaster at Alton Towers might only stand 20 metres above terra firma, but the most intense part of this ride is hidden underground. Oblivion's signature element plunges its riders over 50 metres (180 feet) into a pitch-black tunnel, reaching speeds of 68 mph and a G-force of 4.5. With just an overbanked turn between the drop and brake run, Oblivion is very much a one trick pony, but to this day it still boasts one of the best roller coaster drops ever made.
Following on from the success of Nemesis in 1994, Alton Towers wanted their next ride to be a unique showstopper and decided to once again work with Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the Swiss manufacturer who also made Air (now Galactica) in 2002. During the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Oblivion's construction was shrouded in secrecy as it was the World's first roller coaster to feature a vertical drop and the first B&M dive machine. 15 more dive machines have been built since Oblivion opened in 1998, including Diving Machine G5, a mirrored clone of Oblivon at Janfusun Fancyworld in Taiwan. Other famous installations include Valravn at Cedar Point, Yukon Striker at Canada's Wonderland, Sheikra at Busch Gardens Tampa, Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Baron 1898 at Efteling and most recently, Dr Diabolical's Cliffhanger at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, which is the first Dive Machine to have a beyond vertical drop.
Did you know the Oblivion logo on the side of the train is at a 90 degree angle, so it's only positioned the correct way up when the train is on the vertical drop?
