XLR-8 was a steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

 suspended roller coaster

Suspended swing roller coaster

A suspended roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster in which the car hangs from the bottom of the rolling stock by a pivoting fulcrum or hinge assembly. This allows the car and riders to swing side to side as the train races along the track...

. It was designed by Arrow Dynamics

Arrow Dynamics

Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of...

 (at the time called 'Arrow-Huss') and located at Six Flags Astroworld

Six Flags Astroworld

AstroWorld was a seasonally operated theme park located on approximately of land between Kirby Drive and Fannin Avenue, directly south of Loop 610 in Houston, Texas, USA...

 from when it was constructed 1984 until AstroWorld closed in 2005. XLR-8 was the successor to the troubled Bat at Kings Island

Kings Island

Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...

, which had closed due to several problems.

Halloween Fright Fest 2002

For Astroworld's Fright Fest 2002 event, the last four cars were reversed, which had never been done before on any other suspended roller coaster. The change was successful and the trains remained like that until Astroworld's closure in 2005.

Closure

Astroworld closed operations permanently in 2005 when Six Flags decided to close Astroworld. On February 3, 2006 the ride was sold for $50,000 and was scrapped. The trains are now used on Ninja

Ninja (Six Flags Magic Mountain)

Ninja is an Arrow Dynamics steel suspended roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. It is the fastest roller coaster of its kind in the world, joint with Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, both with top speeds of ....

 at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...

.