Universal Studios Hollywood’s ‘Fast & Furious:’ Hollywood Drift Races to a September 16 Opening
The park’s first outdoor coaster runs spinning, drift-simulating cars at up to 72 mph, a ride Universal calls the fastest in its global lineup.
Summary
Universal Studios Hollywood has set a September 16 opening for 'Fast & Furious:' Hollywood Drift, its first outdoor high-speed coaster
The ride runs independently rotating cars across 4,100 feet of aerial track at speeds up to 72 mph
Universal is billing it as the fastest roller coaster in its global portfolio
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, the new high-speed roller coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood, will open to the public on September 16. Positioned as the park’s first outdoor high-speed coaster, the ride translates the franchise’s obsession with drifting into a physical system of spinning cars racing along an elevated track.
Each car uses 360-degree rotation technology, spinning independently as the train moves so riders feel the sensation of a car breaking traction and drifting rather than simply cornering. Because the cars are programmed individually, the experience shifts depending on which vehicle a rider is seated in. The coaster reaches up to 72 mph across roughly 4,100 feet of aerial track, a distance the park compares to about 12 football fields, with the layout threading over sections of the park below. Universal frames it as the fastest roller coaster in its global lineup of parks.
The build had to bend to its surroundings. Rather than clearing flat ground, the team routed the coaster down the terraced hillside of the Upper Lot, using the steep natural grade of the studio site as the structure’s backbone and housing it within a red-brick, garage-themed facade. A portion of the track also runs through a transparently encased stretch of the queue, letting waiting guests watch cars race past mid-line.
The vehicles themselves pull directly from the films. The ride cars are modeled on some of the saga’s most recognizable machines, including Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger, Han’s Mazda RX-7, and Brian O’Conner’s blue Nissan Skyline GT-R and orange Toyota Supra. The queue extends the theming with recreated props from the films and QR-code displays that open additional behind-the-scenes content through Universal’s Backlot Club fan platform.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift opens at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 16, following earlier delays that Universal addressed in part by installing transparent sound-reduction barriers along portions of the ride. A separate version of the coaster is due at Universal Orlando in 2027.
