Last year, we reported on how the new Fast & Furious themed roller coaster Hollywood Drift would be arriving at Universal Studios Hollywood in Summer 2026, breaking a tonne of records along the way.
It will be Universal Studios Hollywood’s first ever high speed outdoor roller coaster, and the fastest coaster of any Universal theme park. Which is impressive given the fantastic VelociCoaster in Orlando has only held that record since 2021. Drift will outpace that ride by 2mph (it’s 72mph to VelociCoaster‘s 70mph).
Since our earlier report, construction has long since finished, and the park is already bringing on live passengers for their test rides, with rumoured openings as early as next month. Though with the 25th anniversary of the first Fast & Furious film happening on 22nd June 2026, one can imagine they’ll be aiming for this window. We’ll update this article as soon as we know more there.
What we’ve seen from the coaster so far is particularly impressive.
The ride itself has been built onto the hills of the park – making it visible from the freeway below, and forever changing the landscape of the Hollywood hill that Universal Studios sits on.
The entry queue for the ride has been built into the former land occupied by two of their show rooms – Animal Actors on Location, and the Special Effects Stage – but given the clever way they have positioned the ride on the hill – barreling over the iconic escalators that take guests down to the Lower Lot – the park that is limited in its space has not had to close or knock down an existing ride to make it work.
Photos through this article will give you your first taste at just what this looks like, from the loading zone, to those impressive twists and turns.
A couple of months ago the first video teaser was also revealed, giving a taste of what riders can expect, with narration from star Vin Diesel:
The cars themselves can rotate up to 360 degrees across the 4,100 feet (1250 metres) of the track, making those fast turns feel even more intense. This is a relatively new feature that roller coasters have been capable of, but it’s something that guests to Universal Studios Japan may have experienced with Space Fantasy – The Ride (Currently enjoying a CLUB ZEDD EDM re-theming), or at Disney’s EPCOT in Orlando with the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, Cosmic Rewind.
The opening in the coming months in Hollywood will come a year before the ride is expected to open in Orlando, with construction underway in the space once occupied by another Hollywood themed coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. A ride which, for a period, was the second fastest of any Orlando park, just behind the Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure next door. That was well before VelociCoaster came into the picture. No opening date has been set for this version of the ride, except to say “2027” – so we should expect it come Summer 2027.
And then on March 17, 2028, fans will have the 11th and final film in the franchise to enjoy, Fast Forever.
Needless to say, we’re excited for this ride to open. Stay tuned to the AU for more news about Universal Studios Parks around the world, and Hollywood Drift.
For more information about Universal Studios Hollywood, visit UniversalStudiosHollywood.com; follow @UniStudios on Instagram and X and like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook. Photos by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Universal Studios Hollywood, used with permission.
