Lagoon just announced its brand new ride for 2027, and it’s a lot more than just a replacement for the Jet Star 2.
I’ve been watching that construction hole grow all summer, wondering what was coming. The Jet Star 2 spent nearly 50 years doing its best to destroy your back, so whatever replaced it had some serious amends to make. Tonight at Frightmares, Lagoon finally pulled back the curtain, and yeah, I think they made up for it.
What They Announced
The new ride is called the J3 Grand Prix, and it’s a Formula 1-inspired racing coaster built by Intamin, the legendary Swiss roller coaster engineers. And here’s what makes it genuinely exciting. This will be the very first Intamin Hot Racer single-rail coaster in the United States. First ever. Right here at Lagoon in Utah.
Now let’s talk numbers, because these are fun ones. The coaster runs 1,746 feet of track, reaches a maximum height of 50 feet, hits a top speed of 40 mph, and the whole ride lasts about 102 seconds. Three inversions, 13 advertised airtime moments, and Lagoon is claiming 8 seconds of actual airtime. Eight seconds. I can’t wait for that. There goes my stomach just thinking about it.
It’s also Lagoon’s first multi-launch coaster, which means instead of just one big drop to get you going, the ride launches you more than once throughout the course. That alone changes the whole feel of a coaster.
What Makes It Different
If you’ve never heard of a Hot Racer, here’s the key thing to know. Instead of a traditional two-rail setup, this coaster runs on a single rail. Riders sit one behind the other in individual race cars, ten cars total, one seat per row. That means everybody gets the front seat experience. Nobody’s stuck in the middle of a wide car looking sideways at someone else’s shoulder.
The single-rail design also allows for unusual movements and transitions you just can’t do on a traditional coaster. It’s more like a monorail versus a two-rail system, and in engineering terms, that opens up a whole different set of possibilities for the track layout.
Minimum height to ride is 48 inches, and kids that meet the height requirement can ride completely unaccompanied.
One small note worth mentioning. The simulation video they showed during the announcement actually showed a double-rail coaster, not a single-rail one. Word on the street is, that the track will actually look like the pov and it will have all the features of a single-rail but will be a double rail as shown. A bit disappointing if true, because I think the aesthetic of single rail coasters is neat and that seems to make the wordage of the announcement a little misleading.
The Jet Star Legacy
The Jet Star 2 had been at Lagoon for close to 50 years, and let’s be honest, it earned a reputation mostly for how much it beat you up. Removing a legacy coaster that’s been part of the park for that long is never a small decision, and Lagoon also moved the Flying Aces to make room in this area, though where that one ends up is still an open question.
Whatever they’re building needs to make good use of a fairly compact space, and from everything announced tonight, the J3 Grand Prix layout sounds like it does exactly that.
Worth Getting Excited About?
Yeah, I think so. A world-class Intamin coaster, the first of its kind in the country, three inversions, multiple launches, and that single-rail experience where everybody feels like they’re in the driver’s seat. That’s a strong package for a park in Utah.
Now, until I actually ride it, I can’t tell you for certain how it feels. Stats are one thing, the real experience is another. But on paper, this looks like a genuine upgrade for Lagoon and a reason to mark your calendar for 2027.
Want to watch the full announcement, including the moment the J3 Grand Prix name dropped and the crowd reaction? Watch the full video here:
Watch the full video on YouTube
Keep an eye on Lagoon’s official site for updates as construction progresses and the 2027 opening gets closer.
