Tonnerre de Zeus opened in April 1997 at Parc Astérix in Plailly, France, becoming the second wooden roller coaster built in the country after Anaconda at Walygator Parc. Built by Custom Coasters International and designed by Larry Bill, the coaster rose 98 feet within the park’s Antique Greece section, where a towering statue of Zeus greeted riders at the queue entrance.
After more than two decades of operation, the ride underwent an extensive rebuild by The Gravity Group across three winter phases between 2019 and 2021, replacing the majority of its wooden track and structure. It reopened on April 9, 2022, rebranded as Tonnerre 2 Zeus and fitted with new Timberliner trains from Gravitykraft, delivering a smoother yet punchier ride with numerous airtime moments. As part of the redesign, the old double-helix finale was removed, slightly shortening the overall layout compared with the original circuit.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Parc Astérix, Plailly, France
- Manufacturer: Custom Coasters International (original); retracked by The Gravity Group
- Opened: April 1997 (reopened as Tonnerre 2 Zeus, April 9, 2022)
- Height: 98 ft (30 m)
- Top speed: about 55.9 mph (90 km/h) post-renovation
- Length: slightly shorter than the original 4,044 ft (1,233 m) after the double helix was removed in the 2022 rebuild
- Inversions: 0
From Tonnerre de Zeus to Tonnerre 2 Zeus
By the late 2010s, decades of French weather had taken a toll on the original wooden structure, prompting Parc Astérix to partner with The Gravity Group for a multi-winter reconstruction. Crews replaced the majority of the track and supports, altered the banking on several curves, and added new hills, while removing the coaster’s old double helix to make room for punchier airtime moments — trimming the circuit’s overall length in the process.
The rebuilt ride debuted as Tonnerre 2 Zeus in 2022, with the numeral playfully echoing the original French ‘de.’ In 2024, the park swapped the rearward-facing final car for a forward-facing one, nudging capacity from 26 to 28 riders per train.
The Ride Experience
Set within the park’s Antique Greece section, the coaster’s Greek temple-style station and queue-line Zeus statue set the mythological tone before riders climb the 98-foot chain lift hill. The drop and subsequent circuit now deliver a series of rapid-fire hills that produce a reported 14 distinct moments of airtime.
Running Timberliner trains built by Gravitykraft, the ride lasts about two minutes across a course shortened from its original layout by the removal of the double helix, all without a single inversion, relying instead on speed, terrain-hugging turns, and out-of-your-seat air time to deliver its thrills.
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Tonnerre de Zeus FAQs
Is Tonnerre de Zeus still open?
Yes. The original Tonnerre de Zeus was extensively rebuilt by The Gravity Group and reopened in April 2022 under the name Tonnerre 2 Zeus at Parc Astérix.
How fast does Tonnerre 2 Zeus go?
Following its 2022 renovation, the coaster reaches a top speed of about 55.9 mph (90 km/h), up from its original 52 mph.
Did the coaster get longer or shorter after its renovation?
Shorter. The rebuild removed the ride’s old double-helix finale, trimming the track from its original 4,044 ft (1,233 m) length in exchange for a series of extra airtime hills.
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Photo: Martin Lewison / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.