Toutatis (roller coaster)

Announcement

During a documentary helmed by TF1 on May 20, 2018, Frédéric Dubosc, head of construction at Parc Astérix, revealed that a magnetic-launched coaster, inspired by Taron at Phantasialand, was being developed for the park.[4][5] On November 15, 2018, Intamin and park operator Compagnie des Alpes officially unveiled the unnamed launch coaster at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida.[1][6] This was announced alongside Kondaa, another Intamin project that would debut at Walibi Belgium in 2021. Parc Astérix's roller coaster would feature four launches – three of which would be achieved on a single multi-pass launch track – 23 airtime moments, and a 51 m tall Top hat with a 101° drop leading out of it.[7] The coaster would be built within a new 20,813 m2 area behind the Trace du Hourra bobsled roller coaster and was planned to open for the 2021 season.

Construction

In July 2019, reports surfaced that the coaster had been pushed back to 2022 by a lengthy process to secure first demolition permits, as much of the woods was under protection.[8] The attraction development was further delayed to an opening date of 2023 by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10] The full environmental impact assessment became publicly available in September 2020, detailing the construction schematics, budgets, and timeline of the coaster, set to be named Toutatis.[11]

Land clearing and foundation work took place during later summer and the fall of 2021. The first coaster rails began to arrive at the park in early 2022, and construction quietly began while Gravity Group crews were onsite conducting a renovation of Tonnerre 2 Zeus.[12] Track was placed at the highest point and topped off the coaster in June 2022.[13]

In July 2022, project manager Damien Thibault revealed in an interview that the coaster would be accompanied by the addition of Chez Gyrofolix, a Nebulaz attraction from Italian manufacturer Zamperla.[14] Toutatis began testing in January 2023, and a first official onride POV video was released in March.[15][16] Toutatis officially opened to the public on April 8, 2023.[17]

Statistics

Toutatis stands 51 m tall, 1,075 m long, and reaches a maximum speed of 107 km/h throughout the ride. The layout includes four launches – three of which occur on a swing launch between a vertical spike and top hat. Given this, riders travel a total length of 1,361 m. The coaster runs three trains of five cars, each of which seats two rows of two riders for a total of 20 passengers per train. Toutatis also contains similar elements to Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, such as the swing launch/top hat sequence and stall inversion.[18]

Theme

Toutatis (pronounced in Gaulish[19]) is a Celtic god who was worshipped in ancient Gaul and Britain, and widely interpreted to be a tribal protector. In the Asterix comics, the name is commonly used within the catchphrase "By Toutatis!" to parody religious swearing.[20] Toutatis' thematic set pieces were designed and produced by Bordeaux-based KAERU Theme Park Design, a firm that had also worked on OzIris.[21] The music was composed by Benjamin Ribolet.

Budget

Throughout the development, manufacturing, and construction of Toutatis, Parc Astérix spent a total of €28 million (US$29.7 million). The recorded expenditure is as seen below;