Carowinds coaster hits new high (and speeds).

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fast and furious has come to the Carolinas.

Fury 325 is Carowinds’ newest roller coaster, reaching up to the sky 325 feet, then sending riders down a breathtaking 81-degree drop at 95 mph. Boy, does it live up to its name.

Carowinds, an amusement park located just south of Charlotte and straddling the North Carolina-South Carolina state line, is now home to the fifthtallest coaster on Earth. And one of the best. You can’t miss it, driving along I-77 going past the park, which has been a Carolinas tourist destination since 1973.

“It’s awesome,” said Mike Fehnel, vice president and general manager of Carowinds, as the new coaster was unveiled March 25 (3/25 — get it?). Added Fehnel: “It’s done, it’s fast and, boy, is it furious. Who’s ready to feel the sting?”

But Carowinds is a park that’s about more than just delivering big thrills. It also includes rides and activities for children in Planet Snoopy, an area for kids populated by the Peanuts characters; an assortment of rides that the entire family can enjoy together; and a variety of food, shopping and entertainment.

A water park called Boomerang Bay, open during the summer season, also operates inside Carowinds at no additional charge, providing a variety of slides, pools and other areas to cool off and get soaked.

But the big news for 2015 is Fury 325. The park’s 14th roller coaster, it dominates the Carowinds skyline, and soars above and tunnels beneath the park’s main entrance plaza. Part of a $50 million multiyear improvement project at Carowinds, the ride delivers nonstop action and speed.

Fury begins with a slow climb up its 325-foot lift hill, then plunges nearly straight down at 95 mph and into a series of swoops, twists and turns at a sustained breakneck pace. Riders in the front seat have a hard time keeping their eyes open because of the wind rushing into their faces.

The ride’s halfway point is a twisting climb, followed by a steep plunge under a bridge that leads to the park’s entrance plaza. The coaster soars above parkgoers as they walk toward Carowinds. Then it turns, dives beneath and comes

Fury’s Maximum speed

Length of track, equal to 1.25 miles

Angle of the drop of the first hill Number of bolts used to assemble the ride

Source: Carowinds out alongside the bridge. As they enter the park, even those people with no desire to ride get an up-close feel of Fury’s speed and power as well as the look of excitement (or terror) on riders’ faces.

The speed continues relentlessly in the second half of Fury. But three more big hills break up the pace, throwing riders up off their seats and against the restraints that hold them snug and safe as the ride completes its journey of more than 1.25 miles.

“Our goal was to make it great,” said Rob Decker, senior vice president of planning and design for Carowinds. “We started dreaming and we went to work. ... Fury 325 delivers airtime (the sensation of flying up out of your seat) like you have not experienced before.

“I hope you have as much fun riding this ride as we had delivering it to you,” Decker said at the ride’s unveiling. Judging from the reactions of people as they got off the ride, it looks like they do.

“Best ... ride ... ever,” said Matt Geden of Simpsonville, S.C. He’s a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts, a worldwide group with more than 5,000 members. “It seems like a moving symphony in two parts, the first bursting with speed and twists and turns, and the second filled with hills that lift you right out of your seat. Carowinds has a monster hit on their hands.”

Tom Murray, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, said the addition of Fury 325 to Carowinds “strengthens our reputation as a regional tourism destination. We like having the biggest and the tallest.”

“This is just going to make my job even easier,” he added.

This year brings more improvements to Carowinds be- yond its big new ride. The park has made changes to its parking lot and toll plaza, creating about 900 more spaces closer to the park entrance and improving traffic flow.

The main entrance plaza outside the amusement park has been completely redesigned, creating an inviting and vast open space that shows off Fury 325 and removes obstacles to the entry gates. Ticket windows, the season pass center and the guest services area have been totally rebuilt and expanded.

Carowinds is offering a revamped signature Carolina menu and new food services this year. The focus is on food from the different regions of the Carolinas, and a special festival, Taste of the Carolinas, will highlight the offerings. The festival, which runs Saturdays and Sundays from April 18 to May 17, will feature booths with sample-size foods such as seafood gumbo, pulled pork sliders and sweet tea-glazed chicken.

Carowinds has other special events throughout the year, including a concert series Friday nights during summer and the return of its fall Halloween event, Scarowinds.

The park also offers a variety of live entertainment, including country and pop music performances and children’s shows. New for 2015 is the Carowinds Brass Brigade, a band that will be roving through the streets of Carowinds.