The fast and furious roller coaster is now a major attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, where Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift officially opened on September 16, 2026. Meanwhile, Universal Studios Florida is building its own version of the coaster, with testing already underway and an opening planned for 2027.
The two attractions share the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift name, but they are separate roller coasters with different layouts and features. The California attraction has already welcomed guests, while the Florida project continues through its final construction and testing stages.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s new coaster reaches speeds of up to 72 mph and uses rotating ride vehicles to create a drifting effect. The Florida version will include its own major feature: a 170-foot vertical spike that will carry riders nearly 17 stories above the area near Universal CityWalk.
The developments mark a significant new chapter for the Fast & Furious franchise at Universal theme parks. The Hollywood attraction has moved into daily operation, while the Orlando project is beginning the testing process that will eventually lead to its public debut.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Is Now Open
Universal Studios Hollywood officially opened Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift on September 16, 2026.
The attraction sits on the Upper Lot and represents the park’s first outdoor, high-speed roller coaster. Universal built the ride around the speed, cars and driving action that have defined the Fast & Furious films for 25 years.
The coaster covers approximately 4,100 feet of aerial track and reaches a maximum speed of 72 mph.
Universal says the attraction is currently the fastest roller coaster in its Universal Destinations & Experiences portfolio.
The ride also produces forces of up to 3.6 Gs. Four launches accelerate riders through the course, which includes several major inversions and other high-speed elements.
The attraction had already undergone a soft-opening period before its official September debut. The formal opening moved the coaster into regular guest operation.
For Universal Studios Hollywood, the project also changes the park’s visual profile. Large sections of track rise above the Upper Lot and the surrounding hillside, making the attraction visible from numerous locations around the property.
How the Hollywood Drift Ride Works
One of the coaster’s most distinctive features is its rotating ride vehicles.
Traditional roller coaster cars generally remain aligned with the track. The vehicles used for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift can rotate independently while traveling through the course.
The system can create a 360-degree drifting sensation.
The rotation does not simply happen as a fixed movement for every rider. Universal says the vehicles are independently programmed, allowing different cars to produce varying experiences during the ride.
Four different vehicle designs form the ride fleet:
- Dodge Charger
- Mazda RX-7
- Nissan Skyline GT-R
- Toyota Supra
Each vehicle takes inspiration from cars associated with the Fast & Furious film series.
The ride also gives every vehicle its own audio system. Riders hear engine and other sound effects designed around the specific car they are riding.
That detail connects the physical coaster more closely with the automotive identity of the movies.
Hollywood Drift Reaches 72 MPH
Speed is one of the defining characteristics of the attraction.
The Hollywood coaster reaches 72 mph at its fastest point. Its track extends for approximately 4,100 feet across the Upper Lot and hillside area.
Rather than relying on one traditional lift hill, the ride uses four launches to accelerate trains during the experience.
The layout includes an inverted dive loop, a twisted pretzel loop and an inverted stall.
Sections of track also pass over and under portions of the park’s multilevel Starway escalator.
Universal designed the track with sound-reduction technology as part of the attraction’s construction. The elevated layout also takes advantage of the hillside terrain around the park.
From portions of the course, riders can see the San Fernando Valley, Universal’s studio property and other areas surrounding the theme park.
Four Cars Give the Ride Different Experiences
The four ride vehicles are not simply cosmetic versions of the same car.
Universal equipped each one with its own audio system and independently programmed rotation.
That means the experience can vary depending on the vehicle assigned to a train.
The Dodge Charger has a particularly strong connection to the franchise because Dodge Chargers have appeared prominently throughout the film series.
The Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra also represent important automotive styles associated with the movies.
Universal’s decision to make the cars part of the ride technology itself gives the attraction a stronger automotive identity than a standard themed coaster.
The Queue Also Uses Fast & Furious Movie Details
The experience begins before riders reach the coaster platform.
The entrance area uses a large red-brick garage-style structure. Two stationary replica vehicles stand near the entrance, creating an immediate connection to the automotive theme.
Inside the queue, Universal incorporated props and displays inspired by the films.
The attraction includes recreations such as a car cannon, a roll cage and winch, a vault truck, a motorcycle, a NOS system, a ramp car, a rolling bomb and a rollover stunt rig.
Some displays include QR codes that provide additional information about the featured items.
The queue also contains artwork from artist Tristan Eaton.
A large mural near the ride platform depicts the street-racing finale from the original 2001 movie The Fast and the Furious.
Another mural celebrates the broader film franchise.
This approach makes the queue part of the attraction instead of treating it simply as a waiting area.
Universal Used the Hollywood Hillside for the Coaster
The Hollywood location presented a unique design challenge.
Universal Studios Hollywood has limited available space compared with a large flat theme park site.
Universal Creative therefore used the existing hillside as part of the coaster’s structure and layout.
The track climbs, dives and twists through the available terrain.
That approach helped create a long aerial course without requiring the park to build the entire attraction on a large flat footprint.
It also gives riders elevated views during portions of the experience.
The coaster is highly visible from around the Upper Lot and from areas outside the park.
That visibility has made it one of the most recognizable additions to the Universal Studios Hollywood skyline in recent years.
The Florida Fast & Furious Coaster Is Still Under Construction
Universal Studios Florida is developing another Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster.
Universal announced the Florida project in January 2026.
The attraction will replace the former Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster and is scheduled to open in 2027.
The Florida version will use the same general concept of high-speed driving and 360-degree drifting, but its physical layout will be different from the California attraction.
One of its most notable elements will be a 170-foot vertical spike.
Universal says the spike will send riders nearly 17 stories into the air above the outskirts of Universal CityWalk.
The feature will become one of the most prominent visual elements of the new coaster.
Florida Track Installation Has Been Completed
Construction has advanced considerably during 2026.
The final track sections were installed in August, marking a major milestone for the project.
By September, construction crews had moved into additional testing and finishing work.
Recent activity has included the use of a test vehicle on portions of the track.
The vehicle has been pulled through sections of the course as crews check clearances and the relationship between the ride vehicle and surrounding structures.
This type of testing allows engineers to examine areas around the vehicle before the coaster operates under its own power.
A test vehicle has also appeared on the Florida track while crews continue adding themed elements and structural details.
The current activity indicates that the project has progressed beyond basic track construction and into a more advanced stage of ride preparation.
What Pull-Through Testing Means
The current Florida testing involves more than simply moving a coaster car around the track.
A test vehicle is pulled through portions of the course to check the clearance envelope.
The equipment helps crews verify that the vehicle has sufficient space around the track, structures and themed elements.
The testing process can also identify areas requiring adjustment before powered testing begins.
Recent reports show a test vehicle designed around the Dodge Charger style moving through sections of the Florida coaster. A wire-frame structure around the vehicle helps crews examine the space required around the train.
The process represents an important construction milestone, but it does not mean the attraction is ready to open.
Additional testing and operational checks must take place before guests can ride.
Universal has not announced the specific opening date for the Florida coaster.
The confirmed target remains 2027.
Florida’s Coaster Replaces Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
The new attraction is being built on the former Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit site.
Rip Ride Rockit closed permanently in August 2025.
Crews subsequently removed the former coaster and prepared the area for the replacement project.
The new Fast & Furious attraction will dramatically change the site.
Rip Ride Rockit featured a vertical lift and music-focused experience. The replacement instead centers on high-speed launches, rotating vehicles and a major vertical spike.
The transition also represents another stage in Universal Studios Florida’s continuing redevelopment.
The old coaster has disappeared from the skyline, while the new Hollywood Drift track has taken shape across the same general area.
Fast & Furious Supercharged Has Also Closed
Another major change occurred at Universal Studios Florida in August 2026.
Fast & Furious – Supercharged closed permanently after its final operating day on August 16.
The attraction had used large screens, physical sets and vehicle movement to create a movie-style chase experience.
Its closure leaves Universal Orlando with a changing Fast & Furious lineup.
The new roller coaster offers a fundamentally different type of attraction.
Instead of placing guests inside a simulated action sequence, Hollywood Drift puts riders directly onto a high-speed outdoor coaster.
That change makes the physical cars and track central to the experience.
Hollywood and Florida Versions Are Not Identical
Although both attractions use the Hollywood Drift name, visitors should not expect the two coasters to be duplicates.
The Hollywood attraction has a 4,100-foot track, four launches and a maximum speed of 72 mph.
Its design works around the hillside terrain at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Florida version has its own layout and a 170-foot vertical spike.
Universal has confirmed the 360-degree drifting concept for Florida but has not released the same complete set of technical specifications that it published for the Hollywood attraction.
The different sites allow Universal to adapt the concept to each park.
California uses a hillside environment with elevated views.
Florida uses a larger, flatter theme park environment and adds a dramatic vertical element near CityWalk.
Fast and Furious Roller Coaster: Current Facts
| Detail | Universal Studios Hollywood | Universal Studios Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Attraction | Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift | Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift |
| Current status | Open | Under construction/testing |
| Opening | September 16, 2026 | 2027 |
| Maximum speed | Up to 72 mph | Not publicly specified |
| Track length | About 4,100 feet | Not publicly specified |
| Vehicle movement | 360-degree independent rotation | 360-degree drifting |
| Major feature | Four launches and inversions | 170-foot vertical spike |
| Site | Upper Lot | Former Rip Ride Rockit site |
| Vehicle designs | Charger, RX-7, Skyline GT-R, Supra | Fast Saga-themed vehicles |
| Theme | Fast & Furious | Fast & Furious |
The table highlights the confirmed differences between the two attractions.
Universal has released substantially more technical information about the Hollywood coaster because that attraction is already operating.
More information about the Florida ride should become available as construction and testing continue.
Hollywood Drift and the Future of the Franchise
The coaster arrived during the 25th anniversary year of the Fast & Furious franchise.
The first film, The Fast and the Furious, premiered in 2001 and introduced the automotive-centered world that eventually grew into an international film series.
Universal has now translated that identity into a major physical thrill attraction.
The Hollywood coaster puts the cars themselves at the center of the experience.
Riders sit inside recognizable vehicle designs while the cars rotate independently during the ride.
The attraction also uses sound, artwork and movie-inspired props to connect the coaster to the larger franchise.
Universal has announced another film, Fast Forever, for March 2028, adding another future milestone for the franchise.
What Guests Should Know About Loose Items
Because of the coaster’s speed and vehicle movement, Universal requires guests to secure loose belongings before riding.
The Hollywood attraction provides complimentary lockers within the queue area.
Guests must place items such as mobile phones and other loose articles into the lockers.
Universal also requires guests to pass through metal detection before reaching the ride platform.
These procedures are especially important for an attraction that combines high speed with independently rotating vehicles.
Guests planning to ride should expect to store loose belongings rather than carrying them into the coaster.
Hollywood Drift Is Already Operating in California
As of September 23, 2026, the Hollywood attraction is open to guests.
Universal Studios Hollywood officially opened the coaster on September 16 after a period of soft operations and testing.
The attraction reaches up to 72 mph and combines four launches with independently rotating vehicles, inversions and approximately 4,100 feet of track.
Universal describes it as the fastest coaster in its portfolio.
The attraction also marks the first outdoor, high-speed coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Orlando Is Moving Toward Its 2027 Opening
The Florida project has reached a different but important stage.
Track installation has been completed, and crews are now working through vehicle clearance and pull-through testing.
Recent September activity has included a test vehicle on the track and additional themed construction around the attraction.
Universal continues to list 2027 as the opening year.
No specific public opening date has been confirmed.
The 170-foot spike remains one of the defining features announced for the Florida attraction.
Once the Orlando coaster opens, Universal will have two separate outdoor Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coasters operating in the United States.
The Current Fast & Furious Roller Coaster Picture
The current situation is clear.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s coaster is open and operating.
Universal Studios Florida’s coaster is under construction and has reached vehicle testing.
The California version provides the first opportunity to experience Universal’s 360-degree drifting coaster technology in a public attraction.
The Florida version will bring the concept to Orlando with a different track layout and its distinctive 170-foot vertical spike.
For fans tracking the project, the next major milestone will be continued testing followed by the announcement of an exact opening date for the Orlando attraction.
The two coasters also show how Universal is adapting the same movie property to different theme park environments.
California’s version takes advantage of the Hollywood hillside, while Florida’s version uses a different site and adds a dramatic vertical feature.
The result is two separate attractions built around the same automotive world.
Have you already ridden Hollywood Drift in California, or are you waiting for the 2027 Orlando opening? Share your thoughts and stay updated on the latest confirmed coaster developments.