Alton Towers' The Smiler to Feature Inverted Drops?

© Alton Towers

Construction slowed for a bit, but now Alton Towers is back at building The Smiler, and they've released some new photos that are quite intriguing.  From the initial layouts released ages ago it appeared as though the ride would have two lifts, one normal and one vertical, each followed by a swooping 180 degree turn and then a steep drop.

Well, now that this part of the ride is going up there seems to have been some additional secrets the park was keeping, secrets of the inverted nature.

© Alton Towers

The new photos show the swooping turns described above, only at the end of them both appear to turn riders upside down!  I can't wait to see how the rest of the actual drops look once they go up, but this development ads another pair of inversions to an already twisted ride.

Speaking of that, it could now appears as though the Smiler might really make a go for the world record of most inversions.  The initial plans for the ride showed eight inversions, and these additional on the drops make that ten.  With more ride taking place inside a secret building, who knows how many the final count may be?