The ageless design of B&M

[chainedbanana]

I was recently contemplating on how the aesthetics of B&M hasn't changed much in almost 30 years, and they are still so fresh/contemporary looking - the track! the trains - they remind of the designs of H.R. Giger - not in direct style, but that Gigers art was around in the 70's - and yet is very not 70's at all! - and that the designs are still slick and futuristic looking now!

you look at (older) vekoma and schwarzkopf - and they are definitively 80's - and have changed as times gone on (the old vekoma ribcage tracking - just screams of a certain time) whilst you look at Nemesis or Oblivion and don't think 'oh that's so 90's looking'.

 

[Howie]

As well as looking timeless, I think they still look the best too.
I wonder if that was part of the mission statement from the beginning? - "Make them look cool." Or whether their appearance has come from a purely functional/engineering approach?

 

[CrashCoaster]

I think a similar think to the 3-tube track system. Looks brill.

 

[streetmagix]

B&M are fundamentally an engineering company first, rollercoaster designer/manufacturer second. Generally if you engineer something well it'll be be pleasing to the eye. Westminster Tube Station is probably the height of that.

The fact that B&M have kept the same engineering principles since their inception helps, Vekoma are older and have pretty much dropped the old style track with the ties on the outside. If that was still their default track type it probably wouldn't look 'old' to us.

I agree through, B&M track is a timeless design.

 

[GeodieCoasterFan]

B&M's are just great and the oldest one I have seen is Kumba at Bush Gardens Tampa and it was a great looking ride and when I found its age on my return home it was a real surprise as you say with the others they just dont feel that old. Though the coaster themselves seems good some of the theming/station particularly on Oblivion is getting a it dated

 

[Matt N]

From the 40 roller coasters I've ridden, B&M are definitely still my favourite manufacturer, as my top 10 probably implies! Yes, while B&M aren't inverting with lap bars and making trick track quadruple ups and triple launch coasters and all that jazz, they make smooth, reliable coasters that are still fantastic rides, in my opinion. Even though B&M's design hasn't changed massively since they became a rollercoaster manufacturer, I don't really think it needs to. It's a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". B&M's design is still one of the industry's best, in my opinion.

On a side note, I also think that B&M coasters look wonderful!