Icon vs The Smiler
card comparison
| Stat | Icon | The Smiler | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 89 ft | 98 ft | |
| Speed | 53 mph | 53 mph | |
| Inversions | 1 | 14 | |
| Throughputest. | 1000 rph | 1050 rph | |
| Build Costest. | 21.6 $m | 28.1 $m | |
| Vintage | 2018 | 2013 |
Vintage is the reversed stat — the older ride wins. Every number here is the same one printed on the card; see /methodology for how Build Cost and Throughput are sourced.
The verdict
The Smiler sweeps every comparable stat. There is no line on the card where Icon is the better pick, so the only way this duel turns is on who calls the stat.
Icon is a steel Double Launch Coaster coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, GB, built by Mack Rides. The Smiler is a steel Infinity Coaster coaster at Alton Towers, GB, built by Gerstlauer.
Both are in GB, which puts them in the same conversation for anyone planning a trip there.
Both are steel-track, so nothing here is the usual steel-versus-wood argument in disguise.
They are near-contemporaries — 2013 and 2018 — so they were competing for the same riders when they opened.
Stat by stat
- Height goes to The Smiler at 98 ft against 89 ft — clearly ahead.
- Speed splits them not at all: both read 53 mph.
- The Smiler takes Inversions 14 to 1.
- Throughput goes to The Smiler at 1,050 rph against 1,000 rph — ahead by a whisker.
- Build Cost goes to The Smiler at 28.1 $m against 21.6 $m — well clear.
- Vintage is reversed, so The Smiler's 2013 takes it from Icon's 2018 — 5 years in it.