Post Summary
Get ready, roller coaster fans, because Universal Studios Hollywood is about to get way faster. And furious. The new roller coaster, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, opens on September 16th at Universal Studios Hollywood. This is the park’s first outdoor, high-speed roller coaster. This really is unlike anything in the park’s history.
With its striking visual design and state-of-the-art ride technology, this all-new roller coaster—the fastest in the Universal Destinations & Experiences portfolio—is set to redefine the thrill ride experience and further enrich Universal Studios Hollywood, renowned for creating world-class rides and attractions inspired by today’s most iconic entertainment properties.
Universal Pictures’ $7 billion Fast & Furious franchise, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, serves as the driving force behind Universal Studios Hollywood’s new, outdoor roller coaster, “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.” With speed, adrenaline and street racing at its core, the 11-film franchise is a natural fit for a coaster at a theme park where movie‑themed attractions already take center stage. An all-new film in the saga, Fast Forever, will race into theatres in March 2028.
The Technical Details Straight From Universal Parks
Located on the Upper Lot of Universal Studios Hollywood, “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” is situated within an expansive red brick-garage-like structure. Two stationary, photo op prop car reproductions welcome guests just outside the ride as they make their way through the entry archway towards the queue.
In a technological first, a portion of the “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” ride track will race through a transparent encased section of the queue, building on the anticipation as guests wait to ride.
A unique dual-launching, split-ride track will alternate trains from dispatch to propel guests on an epic adventure that will take them over and under portions of the multilevel Starway escalator, through four spectacular launches, an exciting inverted dive loop, twisted pretzel loop and inverted stall, among others, at speeds of up to 72 MPH and a force of up to 3.6 Gs along 4,100 feet of elaborate aerial track constructed with sound-reduction technology while drifting at 360-degrees in their individual ride vehicles.
Thrill seekers will begin their journey lap-bar harnessed into one of four iconic Fast Saga ride vehicles—the Dodge Charger, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R and the Toyota Supra—each modeled after the cars driven by favorite Fast characters in the film series. The arrival platform will be anchored by an all-original, large-scale mural created by world-renowned artist Tristan Eaton, which depicts the finale street racing action scene in the very first Fast film, 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, with a montage of the aerial-bound Dodge Charger and Toyota Supra vehicles racing against a speeding train. Another inspirational Tristan Eaton mural will be featured within the queue in tribute to the entire film franchise.
Equipped with a fully independent audio system, each ride vehicle will surround guests with true‑to‑type engine and sound effects unique to the car they are riding in. And, because each ride vehicle is fully rotational and independently programmed to drift in motion along each train, guests can enjoy four varying experiences depending on which vehicle they are seated.
With real estate at a premium at the Hollywood theme park destination, the visionaries at Universal Creative had the foresight to transform the hillside terrain into the backbone of the coaster, using its natural contours and vista as both the structural base and a defining element of the ride’s imaginative design. The end result delivers breathtaking panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley, the Universal Studio movie studio and the theme park.
Horror Nights And Coasters For Universal Studios Hollywood This Fall
Halloween Horror Nights coincides with the opening of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood. Horror Nights opens on select nights from September 3rd to November 1st. You’ll be able to ride Hollywood Drift during Horror Nights this year as well. The lines might be outrageous with guests trying to get scared by a roller coaster instead of from scare actors, but by all accounts, this coaster is worth the wait.
We’ll have to see just how special it is when Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift opens on September 16th.
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