What's new

Premier Sky Rocket & Maurer X Car

Rob

Mega Poster
Hey CF,
So after a long old vacation from the forums and the enthusiast side of theme parks, I've been busy catching up a bit. After thinking how I'll miss G Force, I remembered that I'd often wondered about Premier's Sky Rocket design, specifically about how much it looks like a rip-off of Maurer's X Car. Admittedly, it would appear they have made a much bigger success of it, but the similarities are clear. From the layouts, which often feature a sky loop type element, to the 6 seater vehicles used in the trains. There's also loads of the concepts I remember reading years back on Maurer's X car web page that could be built into future X car designs, that Premier have merrily stuck into theirs.

So what I'm asking is, does anyone know if Premier bought some of the rights/concepts/copy righted X car bits, or is it just a not too discreet attempt at doing something remarkably similar to Maurer (just better)?
 

cookie

Giga Poster
I don't see how they're any more similar than how Mack launched coasters and Intamin Blitzes are similar, much less so actually.

Plus, manufacturers using similar ideas isn't exactly uncommon.
 

Rob

Mega Poster
Thought someone might make exactly that point haha! My comment there would be that the Mack launch coasters and Intamin Blitz both are, more or less, conventional coasters. Yes they have a fair bit in common, but vehicle design is reasonably conventional and there’s no replication of what you might call a signature element. I suppose the equivalent would be Mack having their Mega Coaster using a hydraulic launch straight into a top hat. In such a fashion, the Premier design uses an element very similar to a sky loop, and also the LSM launch touted as a key feature for the X car back in 2007-8. I know loads of manufactures use them now, but back then hydraulic launches were all the rage and it was a bit less common. The 3x2 vehicles of remarkably similar appearance are also of note.
 
Top