I did not enjoy this at all. The restraints were awkward and painful [they even left dents in my calves that later turned into bruises], it was ROUGH, the launch wasnt that impressive, and it didnt do much at all. This ride was advertised in the park map to be smooth, but from off the ride you could even see the riders shaking back and forth in their seats. The ride itself was nothing impressive and I walked away in a lot more pain than when I got on. The only thing I enjoyed about this ride was taking pictures of it afterwards.

In 2001, Kings Dominion already had more launch coasters than most parks in the world with Flight of Fear and Volcano The Blast Coaster. With the addition of a third launch coaster, Kings Dominion was a certified destination for coaster enthusiasts and thrill junkies. With a compressed air launch that takes riders from 0 to 80 mph in less than 2 seconds and a 90-degree vertical climb and descent, you would think that Kings Dominion would have a winner.

The first thing that I noticed as I approached Hypersonic was that KD had just plopped the coaster down right over the walking paths. They definitely have the land to give this ride its own space, but for some reason they didnt. Then, I saw how extremely short it was. RCDB doesnt have a ride time for it, but its got to be 10 to 15 seconds or so. The ride consists of a great launch, a quick 90-degree climb, an immediate (and unsatisfying) 90-degree drop, and a banked turn. After that you hurdle into some loud brakes and then ease back into the station.

The drop may be 133 tall and have a 90-degree angle, but Ive felt more of a free fall feeling on the shorter woodies at the park. Hypersonic has a weird ultra-light and smooth feel. I wonder if normal steel coaster cars would improve the drop. But with heavier cars, the super-fast launch probably wouldnt possible.

Based on the launch and the intimidating looking hill, Hypersonic XLC is great for adrenaline junkies and the general public. To the true coaster enthusiasts who havent ridden it, youre really not missing much. I should probably give Kings Dominion a pass because it is a first-of-its kind coaster. Prototypes seldom do anything more than demonstrate whats possible. But I cant excuse the terrible return on investment you get after waiting thirty minutes or more for such a short, unimpressive ride. The launch is fun, but thats most likely all youll remember from your 10 second ride. Dont blink! Final Rating - 6.0 (Slightly Above Average)

Cant wait for this ride to be torn down and sold...if any other park is dumb enough to buy it that is. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing it rot!

Whoa, that was one intense launch. This S&S air thrusting coaster was supposed to be the top of the line just five years ago, but has already been outdone by the Intamin rocket coasters. The launch was intense, more so than any other launch I have been on. The vertical tower was certainly fun, up you went at 80 mph and before you could throw your hands up you were at the top. Once at the top, you were able to enjoy the best part of the ride, the slow crawl over which gives the rider a nice chance to check out a nice view, all before plummeting back down vertically. After that, I wish the ride ended. Instead, the train was sent through a couple of high-banked turns, and the transition between the two was really rough and painful. After that, just a bunny hill seperated you and the station, and it was over. The trains had comfortable seats, but the lap bar and stapling caused a great deal of pain for me. I wanted to give this a 7, but now I think an 8 is good. The ride isnt quite as good as Dragster, even though I am giving it the same score primarily based on the incredible launch. HyperSonic is a very fun ride yall, but I would not recommend waiting hours upon hours to ride it.

In terms of forces, Hypersonic: XLC is the KING OF ALL COASTERS! It accelerates over a very short stretch of track and the geforce on the launch is much more powerful than TTDs and rivals the forces on Hulks. The airtime over the top is incredible, and so is the airtime on the last airtime hill on the return trip. The forces are the best part of the ride. Another cool twist is that it launches well after the noises and the traffic light indicate, catching you off guard. However, I have two large problems with this ride that keep it out of my top ten. It reaches 80 mph and can go up a much higher first vertical. However, they used brakes and the end of the flat track and on the way up so that they could make a lower max height. The height of the coaster just isnt all that scary. The other is the length. If it had one or two more airtime hills it might have gotten a 10. Still an amazing experience for someone who loves positive and negative gs.

Great! But...Way too short.

The ride itself is actually an 8 because of the great launch and vertical hill. However, the ride has very bad reliability and a very low capacity, which i took a point off for.

I might have rated this higher if I hadnt ridden so many other launch coasters. The launch is intense but thats the whole ride. This ride is slow loading, low capacity and prone to break downs. Also a breeding ground for every line cutter in the park.

The launch is pretty much the only outstanding element of Hypersonic XLC. I definitely recommend this ride, but be prepared for a very long wait and a very short ride.

ASTRONOMICAL LAUNCH!!! But what happened to the rest of the ride? Even though I really enjoyed this ride, I have to admit, it was a little dissapointing to follow up a brilliant launch and nerve racking vertical hill thingy with, well, nothing. However the launch, which is second only to Top Thrill Dragster in my opinion, earns this ride a 9 all by itself.