‘Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift’ coaster marks first launch ahead of 2026 opening at Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood marked another milestone for “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” as the California park speeds toward the 2026 debut of its first outdoor high-speed roller coaster by initiating its first launch.

During this initial test phase, the coaster train containing the attraction’s four ride vehicles representing iconic cars from the Fast & Furious films will be concealed—including Dom Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger revealed this summer—with the remaining three ride vehicles revealed at a later date.

About Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift

The park’s new thrill ride located on the Upper Lot will feature “innovative and technological achievements never previously employed in a roller coaster,” including a state-of-the-art ride system to immerse guests in the high-speed world of the Fast & Furious movies and 360-degree rotation of individual ride vehicles creating what Universal describes as the “sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at furiously fast speeds,” all while racing along 4,100 feet of aerial track with multiple inversions.

At 72 miles-per-hour, “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” will debut as “the fastest roller coaster in the Universal Destinations & Experiences portfolio,” surpassing VelociCoaster and Stardust Racers in Orlando.

“As a premier entertainment theme park destination with a rich history in immersing guests in incredible rides based on today’s most inspiring movie, television, and gaming properties, we are excited to introduce our very first, high-speed outdoor roller coaster,” said Universal Studios Hollywood Executive Vice President & General Manager Scott Strobl. “‘Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift’ will be a powerful game changer for Universal Studios Hollywood that will not only transform the topography of our destination but will infuse an entirely new level of adrenaline to our already dynamic theme park.”

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift ride vehicles revealed

As part of Universal Studios Hollywood’s new Universal Mega Movie Summer event in June 2025, Universal offered the first look at the all-new four-person ride vehicle modeled after Dom’s Charger from the blockbuster movie franchise.

Similar to “Fast & Furious: Supercharged” at Universal Studios Florida, the queue experience for “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” will take guests into a large, red brick garage-style structure where they’ll board the ride vehicles and be “catapulted” along a 4,100-foot aerial track that winds its way over parts of the theme park, including the multi-level “Starway” escalator that connects the Upper and Lower Lots.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s first high-speed, outdoor roller coaster

Unlike Universal Orlando Resort, which boasts an extensive roster of thrilling coasters, Universal Studios Hollywood currently only offers the family-friendly outdoor Flight of the Hippogriff and indoor Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride.

This is likely because the park is surrounded by homes and businesses (not to mention its own studio backlot where outdoor filming is common), making noise from screaming roller coaster riders an obvious reason the park has not built large-scale outdoor thrill rides before.

However, as we reported in October 2023, Universal has committed to several noise-reducing measures for “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” to reduce the impact on the community, including enclosing sections of the track to contain the sound, which we can see in new concept art.

The 2026 addition of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has followed the March 11, 2025, closure of the similarly themed Fast & Furious—Supercharged on the Universal Studio Tour, which we expect will be replaced with a new experience.

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