Visitors to Universal Studios Hollywood are encountering a flurry of activity as construction of the park’s sprawling new roller coaster hits a Fast & Furious pace.
“Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” is set to open sometime in 2026; the park hasn’t said exactly when.
It will be the theme park’s first high-speed outdoor roller coaster, and construction is easily visible from L.A.’s 101 and 134 freeways.
The coaster’s track will wind through various sections of the park, starting from a garage-style queue area on the Upper Lot and descending into the Lower Lot with several inversions, including a loop around the Starway Escalator.
“Highlights will include groundbreaking 360-degree rotation of the individual ride vehicles as they rocket along an elaborate track meticulously constructed with sound reduction technology for a breathtaking, superior experience,” park officials said in their announcement.
This unique design aims to replicate the high-octane drifting action of the Fast & Furious race scenes. Some of the rotations, along with shields around two sections of the track, are designed to contain riders’ screams and keep them directed away from nearby homes.
Sky5 footage from Monday, Nov. 25, shows the coaster’s station/queue area has been topped off, and several sections of track are installed, including part of the escalator loop.
Ever since detailed plans for the ride were shared on ParkFans.net last fall, coaster enthusiasts have been cranking out unsanctioned, unofficial computer renderings. The latest, posted on YouTube by Alexander M. Bush, was created with the game Planet Coaster 2.
It remains to be seen how closely these renderings resemble the actual ride once it is completed.
One important feature that hasn’t been released is how “fast” the Fast & Furious coaster will go.
The ride was designed by Intamin, a Liechtenstein company that has been building coasters since the 1960s. Intamin developed the world’s first hydraulic launch system, including one that sends riders from 0 to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds on Kingda Ka, North America’s tallest and fastest coaster – so the company knows how to deliver speed.