The world's most amazing roller coasters

The world's population easily falls into two categories: those who think roller coasters are awesome and are then christened awesome in the process and those stupid other people.

For those who enjoy the fun of theme parks and life in general, roller coasters provide an endless source of excitement. For the rest, well they were probably scared off by the mere title of this article.

To reward the thrill-seeking side of the world, we've assembled a list of the most amazingly terrifying roller coasters in existence.

Anyone up for joining us on a very long and very expensive trip around the globe?

Kingda Ka, New Jersey

The world's tallest roller coaster reaches a height of 139m at its highest point. To put things in perspective, that's even taller than the London Eye and that moves at a glacial pace. It's named after a Bengal tiger, which should give you some idea of its fierceness. Oh and as well as being the world's tallest, it also has the world's fastest drop. Here's what it looks like on the front row:

Formula Rossa, Abu Dhabi

Probably the classiest ride on the list (since it exists in a park called Ferrari World), it's also the newest of them all. Since it's such a young upstart, it's already bagged one of the most intimidatingly brilliant records available, becoming the world's fastest roller coaster. Its top speed is 150 mph and it managed to get there in just 4.9 seconds. Because of the speed, you'll need to wear protective glasses if you sit at the front. In case of insects. Hmmm, we'll take the back then.

Takabisha, Fujiyoshida

In case you weren't aware, the word takabisha translates as "dominant" in English. This should give you some idea that you're not going to have much control over your embarrassingly shouty reaction to this one. As the world's steepest roller coaster, it boasts a drop angle of 121° and since it's over in just two minutes, you'll barely have a chance to comprehend how damn steep that is.

Steel Dragon 2000, Kuwana Mie

Another Japanese entrant on the list (yes, we're booking our tickets too) is named after the year it opened. But don't assume that it's past-it when compared to some of the younger rides on the list. It still holds the record for the longest track which is just under 2500m. Due to the amount of steel required for earthquake protection, it cost a whopping $50 million, putting its manufacturer out of business. But boy, what a way to go.

El Toro, New Jersey

While the thought of a wooden roller coaster might have you fearing for your life, well, you might be right. The Son of Beast in Ohio had to be closed down after two major non-fatal incidents while a man died on The Cyclone in Coney Island. Anyway, on from all that depressing stuff because the El Toro at Six Flags is both safe and amazing. It has the tallest wooden roller coaster drop in the world, which you can watch right here:

Expedition GeForce, Haßloch

If there's one thing you can expect from a German roller coaster, it's efficiency and that's exactly what you get with this one. One of Europe's largest roller coasters, it has an 82° first drop and travels up to 75 mph with seven, count 'em seven, periods of weightlessness. Have an in-home sample of them right here:

Vertical Velocity, California

Although it might not hold any records like the other entrants on this list, Vertical Velocity has a rather sickening structure that runs riders along a 200m U-shaped track with two giant vertical spikes. This means you get the experience of hurtling into the ground without seeing what's to come. Easily the worst ride to face after a heavy lunch. Proof:

Eejanaika, Fujiyoshida

Now, it takes a while to get your head around this one. The crafty design allows your seat to rotate backward or forward 360 degrees in a reassuringly controlled spin. There are four rails on the track that allow this to happen as two are running while the other two are for spin control. It holds the Guinness World Record for the most inversions in the world. As you can see from this video, it's not for the faint-hearted:

(Images: M90 Photography, calltheambulance,The Crypt, Oldiesmann, Roller Coaster Philosophy, juanpg, Tenioman)