- Universal Studios Hollywood will open the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster later this year.
- Ride vehicles replicate famous film cars including a Dodge Charger, Toyota Supra and Nissan Skyline GT-R.
- The 1250m roller coaster reaches around 119km/h and uses 360-degree drifting-style ride technology.
Universal Studios is turning some of the most famous cars in the Fast & Furious franchise into roller coaster ride vehicles, with the upcoming Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift attraction bringing screen machines onto the track.
Opening later this year at Universal Studios Hollywood, the new coaster forms part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Fittingly, the ride vehicles themselves are styled after several of the film series’ most recognisable cars, including Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) supercharged 1970 Dodge Charger.
Movie cars, coaster duties
Alongside Toretto’s black Charger, the attraction will feature replicas inspired by Brian O’Connor’s (Paul Walker) 1994 Toyota Supra and his 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R.
Han Seoul-oh’s (Sung Kang) 1997 Mazda RX-7 also joins the line-up, giving the ride a line-up that reads like a greatest-hits garage from the early films.
The vehicles have been designed to mirror their movie counterparts closely. Dom’s Charger, for example, retains the exaggerated supercharger poking through the bonnet, while the cars also include functional lighting and other styling cues lifted directly from the screen versions.
It is a fitting nod to the franchise’s roots. While later entries leaned heavily into globe-trotting action sequences, the first films were built around modified street cars, and those machines remain the icons fans recognise most.
Built to drift, apparently
The roller coaster itself stretches roughly 1250 metres and is capable of speeds up to about 119km/h. Universal says the ride incorporates new 360-degree technology designed to mimic the sensation of drifting. It's an ambitious goal considering roller coasters typically prefer rails to sideways tyre smoke.
If the technology works as intended, riders could experience the kind of sliding motion usually reserved for stunt drivers and tyre budgets that would make accountants nervous.
Fast franchise still accelerating
The attraction also arrives as the film series continues to expand. The Fast & Furious saga now spans 11 films, with a twelfth instalment already in development. Titled Fast Forever, the next movie is scheduled to reach cinemas on March 17, 2028.
Universal Orlando is also building its own version of the Hollywood Drift ride, suggesting the studio expects the brand to keep pulling crowds well beyond its quarter-century milestone.
Whether you grew up watching street races in The Fast and the Furious or joined later when the series began jumping cars between skyscrapers, the new coaster leans heavily on the vehicles that started it all: big engines, bold styling and just enough absurdity to make the whole thing memorable.
