Superman / la Atracción de Acero — “Superman: The Attraction of Steel” — is the signature roller coaster of Parque Warner Madrid in Spain. Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and opened on April 6, 2002, this floorless coaster sends riders through seven inversions with nothing beneath their feet but 164 feet of Spanish air.
Two decades on, it remains one of Europe’s standout floorless coasters and one of the continent’s most inversion-packed rides, earning it a spot on our list of the roller coasters with the most inversions in the world.
Key Stats
| Height | 164 ft (50 m) |
| Speed | 62 mph (100 km/h) |
| Length | 3,609 ft (1,100 m) |
| Inversions | 7 |
| Duration | 2:26 |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Floorless Coaster |
| Opened | April 6, 2002 |
| Location | Parque Warner Madrid, Spain |
Seven Inversions of Steel
The inversion lineup is classic B&M: a towering vertical loop, an Immelmann, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll (which counts for two inversions), and two interlocking flatspins to finish. That sequence of seven puts it among the most inversion-heavy coasters ever built, and it delivers them across 1,100 meters of track at speeds up to 100 km/h.
One quirk sets it apart from most of B&M’s looping coasters: the first drop. Instead of the manufacturer’s trademark swooping, curved descent, Superman dives straight down off the 50-meter lift hill. It’s a small design choice that gives the ride a sharper, more aggressive opening than many of its floorless siblings.
The Floorless Experience
On a floorless coaster, the train’s floor retracts before dispatch, leaving riders’ legs dangling above the track. With nothing to brace against, every inversion feels more exposed — especially in the front row, where the track rushes up at your feet through the vertical loop.
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The ride is themed to the Man of Steel and anchors the DC Super Heroes World section of the park, where it towers over the surrounding superhero-themed streets. At roughly two and a half minutes, the ride time is generous for a looping coaster of this size — long enough that the finale’s interlocking flatspins arrive just as you think it’s winding down.
History
Superman / la Atracción de Acero opened with Parque Warner Madrid (then Warner Bros. Movie World Madrid) in April 2002, and it has been the park’s flagship thrill ride ever since. B&M’s floorless model was still young at the time — the first only debuted in 1999 — making Superman an early European example of the concept.
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Today it shares the park’s coaster lineup with several other headliners, but for inversion count and sheer visual presence, Superman is still the ride the park’s skyline is built around.
Practical tip: Parque Warner Madrid sits about 25 km southeast of central Madrid in San Martín de la Vega, and Superman is typically among the first rides to draw long lines on busy days. Ride it early, then come back after dark if the park is open late — the lighting around DC Super Heroes World gives the red-and-blue track a completely different character at night.
FAQ
How many inversions does Superman / la Atracción de Acero have?
Seven: a vertical loop, an Immelmann, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, and two interlocking flatspins.
How tall and fast is it?
The coaster stands 164 feet (50 meters) tall and reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) over 3,609 feet (1,100 meters) of track.
What kind of coaster is it?
It’s a Bolliger & Mabillard floorless coaster — riders sit above the track with no floor beneath their feet — and it opened on April 6, 2002 at Parque Warner Madrid.
Photo: Miguel303xm via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)