by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:35 AM ET, Thu March 5, 2015
Photo via Facebook
For those who love to ride roller coasters, there is a new sheriff in town as Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, revealed the first footage of its Fury 325, the world's tallest and fastest giga coaster.
According to the Carowinds Facebook page, the first video of the Fury 325 in action was released Wednesday. It is a point-of-view video shot from the perspective of a front-row passenger on the ride's first test run.
The roller coaster will be open to the public this spring, according to the park's official website.
The Fury 325 derives its name from the record-setting height of the giga coaster; 325 feet tall. With a height that drastic, the speed of the 81-degree initial drop will be incredible, clocking in at speeds of up to 95 miles per hour, according to MyFox8.com. At 6,602-feet-long, Fury 325 is also the longest steel roller coaster in North America, via WISTV.com.
The term "Giga Coaster" is in reference to the height or drop of a roller coaster. If it measures between 300 feet and 399 feet in height or drop and completes a full circuit, the ride is classified a giga coaster.
Currently, the tallest giga coaster in the world is the Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land in Mie Prefecture, Japan. It measures 318 feet tall. When the Fury 325 debuts this spring, it will be seven feet taller.
The addition of the Fury 325 is part of a $50 million multiyear expansion that will give Carowinds some much-needed upgrades, per MyFox8.com. The upgrades come at a perfect time, as the world's tallest giga coaster will ensure roller coaster fanatics from around the world make the journey to Charlotte.
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