Designed and built by Maurer Söhne of Munich and themed by Colchester-based Space Leisure, the new ride is scheduled to open in July and has been code named Project X.

Running at speeds of up to 70kmh on a 385m track and travelling to a maximum height of 23m, the new attraction features a completely new hip-restraint system and track configuration.

It will have two trains with six-seater cars, each of the latter featuring stadium-type seating where each pair is higher than the one in front.

The ride station, from which the cars will drop sharply downwards, will be 10m above the ground. From there, passengers will be lifted at high speed up a vertical tower before travelling upside down in a loop at the ride's highest point.

This is followed by a tight camelback and three back-to-back butterfly inversions before a return to the start point.

Colin Bryan, Managing Director of Drayton Manor, says: “We are very Xcited about being the first theme park in the world to commission this most unusual type of X Car coaster. It will add to our ride stable of the world's first stand up tower drop, Europe's only stand up roller coaster and the UKs fastest wet knuckle ride.”

leisure-kit keywords: Maurer Söhne