Tonnerre 2 Zeus, Wooden roller coaster in Parc Astérix, Plailly, France
Tonnerre 2 Zeus is a wooden roller coaster at Parc Astérix in Plailly that runs along 1232 meters of track and reaches 84 kilometers per hour (roughly 52 miles per hour). The structure rises 30 meters (about 98 feet) above the ground and follows a layout that combines sharp drops with tight turns built entirely from wood.
Tonnerre de Zeus opened in April 1997, the second wooden coaster in France after Anaconda. In 2019 Parc Astérix began a three-phase renovation with The Gravity Group replacing 85% of the track and structure; the final phase was delayed a year by COVID-19. The ride reopened as Tonnerre 2 Zeus on 9 April 2022.
The roller coaster incorporates elements from Greek mythology, with Zeus representing the power of thunder through the intense ride experience.
The minimum height to ride is 1.20 metres. The queue runs through a wooded area past the final helix and brake run before reaching the station, a Greek temple where riders board and leave in the same building. A third train is kept as a spare beside the track.
The 2022 rebuild removed the double helix, shortening the track, but added a tunnel with lightning motifs and thunder sound effects. A fake track section displays one of the original trains. The coaster remains the third longest wooden coaster in Europe, after Colossos and Coaster Express.
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