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B&M vs. Intamin

B&M or Intamin

  • B&M

    Votes: 44 62.0%
  • Intamin

    Votes: 27 38.0%

  • Total voters
    71

elephant58

Hyper Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

I've been on 3 B&Ms and 3 Intamins.

Oblivion - favourite coaster
Nemesis - Second favourite coaster
Air - Definitely in my top 10

Rita - fun, but painful
Thirteen - far too over-trimmed
Shockwave - PAIN!

Definitely B&M! Although saying that, I did enjoy the 3 Intamins, but just not as much as I did with the B&Ms.

Although Intamin's more innovative with their designs, B&M always seem to be very popular and never fail.
 

CookieCoasters

Giga Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

This is a question i really struggle to answer as they are both such great manufacturers. My top 10 consists of 5 B&M's and 4 Intamin's, but my top 2 coasters are intamin and a B&M coaster does not show up until number 4 with Tatsu.

I have been a lot more B&M coasters than intamin coasters and i think they are all really good with the exception of Vortex, CGA so i believe that B&M are the more consistent of the two, but when intamin build a great coaster, it really is amazing.

I can't make a decision yet, but hopefully i will be able too in the near future.
 

JJLehto

Hyper Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

There was a time when this was easily B&M for me but now I lean to Intamin.

As it's been said, B&M are more consistent while Intamin is less so, but their highs are so much better.
So looking into other considerations: B&M are much more reliable and always comfortable, though Intamins are more forceful esp with air time obviously. It gets personal here because while I prefer intensity, even if it means some discomfort others don't like any discomfort at all.

Also while B&M used to be on the cutting edge seems like they have been lagging, Intamin keeps making new innovations: Magnet Brakes, cable lift, plug and play/laser cut woodies, hydraulic launch (IDK if it still is, but didn't it used to be more efficient than LIM/LSMs?) and now the double spine track that cuts down on cost. They also are more diverse, B&M only does steel and still no launchers. So yeah, 90s were B&M time, 2000s on it goes to Intamin
 

Xpress

Strata Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

TOGO takes the cake, all day any day. B&M and Intamin got nothing on them.
 

Edward M

Strata Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

While Zamperla is always the best :p , I am going to my top 25 for this one. I will give our points like for number 1 gets 25 points. 25 gets 1.

Intamin
1 MF- 25
3 El Toro- 23
4 Maverick- 22
6 TTD- 20
14 Volcano- 12
15 I305- 11
25 Disaster Transport (yeah what about it :x )- 1
Intamin gets 114

B&M
5 Nitro- 21
7 Goliath@ SFOG- 19
10 Diamondback- 17
16 Hulk- 10
17 Dueling Dragons- Ice- 9
21 Superman@ SFOG- 5
22 Dueling Dragons- Fire- 4
24 Dominator- 2
B&M gets 87

Intamin wins!!! B&M is still an amazing company that I look forward to riding every time I see one.
 

BBH

Giga Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

I don't know if I'm really fit to make a comparison, as I have 5 B&M creds and 2 Intamin, but Intamin definitely goes for out-of-control pushing-the-boundaries fear and thrills. B&M goes for sometimes intense but very reliable perfection.

That being said, I choose B&M.
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Re: B&M vs Intamin

B&M. The occasional, probably accidental, genius of Intamin's best coasters (prefab woodies, Atlantis Adventure, some hypers, mega-lites) don't quite make up for their absolutely **** ones (Baco, Rita amongst others).

Yes, B&M could be seen as quite formulaic - I don't actually agree with that 100% as I think there is variation in like-for-like coasters - but you rarely get a bad ride.
 

rtotheizzo17

Hyper Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

There is really something to be said about the entire B&M experience. The roar of the track. The look of the 4 across seating. The picture perfect inversions their rides have. The consistency in quality is outstanding. Outside of a few of the stand-ups the built circa 1994, their rides are just on point.

If I was building a park, and had $20 mill to build a signature ride, it would be a B&M hyper.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: B&M vs Intamin

As an enthusiast, so would I Erol, but I think the fact that Port Aventura (with experience of both Intamin and B&M) chose the B&M option speaks volumes about making the decision in a business sense.

I think it's safe to say that the Intamin hyper/mega-lite rides are the best coaster type in the world. It's just that everything else Intamin (steel) just isn't particularly good/standard/reliable/etc
 

Screaming Coasters

Strata Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

Thing is with Port Aventura is that they had a conceptual image, which I believe drove them to their final decision (obviously). Intamins don't look as pleasingly sculptured as the huge box-sections of B&M, and for what PA wanted to achieve with the whole mountain idea, only B&M could fit the bill and look great and more imposing than Khan. Intamin just wouldn't look right and the actual experience wouldn't fit right with what they had in mind. I don't think its to do with reliability as much... Look at Merlin. The major trouble they had with Saw and yet they've gone and built a similar model at Alton Towers. Same with Alton Towers and Rita, yet they built Stealth and TH13TEEN.

I believe Imagery played at least 80% of their final decision.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: B&M vs Intamin

To be fair to Intamin, Stealth and Rita aren't that dreadful in terms of reliability and neither are awful rides (not world beaters, but there's very little physically wrong with them). So you can understand why Merlin would use them again.

You can imagine there being a customer service poll on the rides at PA, and half the responses are "FB is superb", the other half "you need a brain surgeon at the exit to help with the casualties - I'll never ride it again".

Yes, there'll be more to it than that, a combination of things, but the Intamin mega's are renowned worldwide for their ride quality so it seems a little odd. Though they've hardly got a flop on their hands with Shambhala :lol:

We have no idea about Gerstlauer and Merlin, no idea at all :lol:
 

Youngster Joey

Strata Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

Yet there are Intamin Hypers that are total ****. I've NEVER ridden a B&M hyper that is even bad. They're just too consistent of all the ones I've ridden.
 

Screaming Coasters

Strata Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

furie said:
You can imagine there being a customer service poll on the rides at PA, and half the responses are "FB is superb", the other half "you need a brain surgeon at the exit to help with the casualties - I'll never ride it again".

But aint it funny how in Port Aventura, Furius Baco and Stampida are the only two rides where people clap at the end. I guess the Spaniards love pain! LOL
 

Nemesis of oblivion

Strata Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

B&M down to reliability. When ever I go to a park with an Intamin, I always fear that it won't be open. Though I recognise the fact B&M are a thousand times smoother, I can take fairly rough rides. But yeah, B&M for me.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Re: B&M vs Intamin

Screaming Coasters said:
But aint it funny how in Port Aventura, Furius Baco and Stampida are the only two rides where people clap at the end. I guess the Spaniards love pain! LOL
Welcome to America - we clap after every ride!

Which has me thinking, for the U.S., there really aren't dreadful Intamin roller coasters. The first two Superman hypers may be a bit boring (they were the first afterall), but there isn't a U.S. Intamin that springs out as horrendous; especially relative to Vekoma, etc.
 

rcjp

Roller Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

I loved furius baco and I think Intamin make some great coasters, ones that make me go "Wow! when I hit the brake run. However, overall, I like B&M better as they're more consistent, reliable and smooth. I also think they do their looping coasters (especially sitting, floorless and inverted) really well which is important for me 'cause I really like inversions. Intamin likes to innovate and I do recognize that but I just adore B&M too much.
 

insanecoastervids

Hyper Poster
Re: B&M vs Intamin

In my opinion I think B&M is a lot better because they are more good rides and Intamin can just sometimes build terrible coasters
 
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