Intimidator coaster will be renamed 'Pantherian' at Kings Dominion

Six Flags removed Dale Earnhardt theming from its Intimidator roller coaster attractions, now known as Thunder Striker at Carowinds and soon to be known as Pantherian at Kings Dominion.

Updated Oct. 28, 2024; original version published Feb. 28, 2024.

Intimidator? Thunder Striker? Project 305? Pantherian? Theme park attraction names occasionally change for various reasons, and two roller coasters at Six Flags parks (formerly Cedar Fair parks) are doing just that.

Previously known as Intimidator at Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C. and Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., both versions of the coaster opened in 2010. Carowinds’ version tops out at 232 feet and reaches speeds of up to 80 mph, while Kings Dominion’s stats are 305 feet and 90 mph.

Both roller coasters were formerly (and lightly) themed to the late race car driver Dale Earnhardt. Design elements, like checkered-flag pavement and racing-related souvenirs in the post-ride gift shop, supported this theme. Onboard the coaster itself, the experience was focused instead on the thrills of the attraction’s height and speed rather than a theme.

At Carowinds, Intimidator became Thunder Striker in spring 2024. The name came with a new backstory connecting Thunder Striker to the story universe of Thunder Road, the park’s wooden roller coaster that closed in 2015.

Thunder Striker was built in the back of Earl’s Garage on Thunder Road. Master mechanics stripped down the old jalopy and scrounged up parts to create a souped-up engine that’s optimized for pure speed.

Now Thunder Striker is the champion of the dirt road racers. The fastest, meanest hot rod in two states. Lucky visitors to Earl’s might get to hop in the sleek, black-bodied roadster with signature lightning bolts painted on the hood. They’ll surely get the ride of a lifetime — a high-fuel, high-thrill spin through the Carolinas.

The ride experience of Thunder Striker remains nearly identical to Intimidator, the most prominent change being the sign at the front of the queue.

In addition to the Thunder Striker rebrand, Carowinds’ 2024 season also included a summer concert series, something of an operations experiment for its long-abandoned amphitheater venue. The park is currently under construction on an expansion to its Camp Snoopy area.

At Kings Dominion, Intimidator 305 will also take on a new identity. The coaster was nameless for the entirety of its 2024 operating season. The park simply referred to the attraction as “Project 305.”

A certain roller coaster we all know and love — one of the tallest, fastest, and most thrilling on the east coast — is undergoing a transformation.

While the insane drops, twists, turns, and speed are the same, the experience is something you’ve never, ever seen. And definitely something you can’t unsee.

Details are coming. But in the meantime, brace yourself. This ain’t your mama’s 305.

On Oct. 4, 2024, Kings Dominion posted on social media, “The project is nearing completion. 11/3 is your final day to ride 305 as you know it,” along with an image of a tombstone. To be clear, though, the ride itself isn’t closing. It’s just taking on a new name.

On Oct. 28, 2024, Kings Dominion announced “Pantherian” as the official new name of the coaster formerly known as Intimidator 305. Contractors will repaint the track and support beams as part of the rebrand.

In your trek through Jungle X-Pedition, you may discover the Pantherian, a shrine dedicated to the sleek, stealthy panther. As with other shrines and temples in Jungle X-Pedition, within Pantherian is a mystical steel contraption built by the ancients. Anyone who dares to ride Pantherian will temporarily take on the panther’s most defining characteristics: speed, agility and raw power.

Pantherian is one of the tallest, fastest and most thrilling coasters on the East Coast. You may imitate an apex predator’s menacing growls and fierce roars as you descend the ride’s first drop, a 300-foot plunge. Following the dive is an exhilarating adventure of mind-bending twists and turns, similar to the path of the feline predator as it tears through the jungle.

Kings Dominion has not announced a reopening date for the 2025 season, which will also include the grand opening of Rapterra (an actually new coaster rather than a rebranded one). In 2022, the park debuted the Tumbili coaster, which suspends and flips riders along its twisted track.

Earlier this year, Cedar Fair — the former parent company of Carowinds and Kings Dominion — merged with Six Flags, forming a combined portfolio of 42 parks.

Learn more about both parks and purchase tickets or season passes here for Carowinds and here for Kings Dominion.

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