New details: Universal Studios' 'Fast & Furious' coaster is almost ready to ride

Universal Studios Hollywood has begun peeling backmost the curtain — oregon opening the garage? — connected its caller “Fast & Furious”-inspired coaster coming to the parkland this summer.

The coaster volition diagnostic 4 heavy elaborate miniature cars arsenic thrust vehicles. These four-seaters — mimicking a Dodge Charger, Mazda RX-Y, Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra, each implicit with pull-down lap-bars and moving taillights — were unveiled astatine a media lawsuit Wednesday.

But possibly the astir breathtaking quality retired of the lawsuit is conscionable however meaty of a coaster Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift looks to be.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift volition motorboat this summertime astatine Universal Studios Hollywood and boast thrust vehicles that are miniatures of existent cars. The amusement gathering is themed similar a warehouse with a vibrant, spray-painted mural.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

The attraction, the 2nd outdoor coaster astatine the parkland aft the much kid-focused “Harry Potter” thrust Flight of the Hippogriff, was timed astatine moving astir 2 minutes astir the track, which goes implicit and nether the park’s famed hillside escalators. Hollywood Drift volition scope a apical velocity of 72 mph.

While a typical for the institution said the coaster is intended to scope that 72-mph milestone astatine assorted points connected the ride, it’s worthy noting that it’s inactive successful investigating mode and the last speeds and run-time whitethorn change. Still, the information that Universal has been capable to battalion specified a mighty acquisition into a choky portion of existent property should beryllium affirmative quality for coaster enthusiasts.

By comparison, the household coaster Flight of the Hippogriff is lone astir a minute, whereas Disney California Adventure’s Incredicoaster comes successful astatine much than 2 and a fractional minutes. It’s not uncommon for modern coasters today, owed to their expanding accent connected velocity and thrills, to past lone astir a minute.

A look astatine the thrust vehicles and wrong mural successful the rider load country of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Though packing storytelling into a fast-moving outdoor thrust is ever a taxable parkland challenge, Universal is doing what it tin to marque guests consciousness arsenic if they’re sitting successful existent tiny, authentic cars. Check, for instance, the brightly orangish Supra, oregon the black, vintage-style Charger. Each car volition beryllium equipped with onboard audio and has unsocial details, close down to the antithetic placement of the odometers connected the dashboard.

One question: Do those odometers really enactment and measurement speed? A Universal rep declined to answer, but nary matter, arsenic astir impermanent volition apt beryllium focused connected the scenery extracurricular the vehicle, specified arsenic the next-door play people oregon bird’s-eye views of the park.

An creator rendering of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, the park’s archetypal high-speed outdoor coaster.

(Universal Studios Hollywood)

The coasters volition committee 2 astatine a clip wrong the reddish brick, warehouse-themed amusement building, which features spray-painted murals from creator Tristan Eaton. Each coaster bid holds 4 cars. There volition beryllium a azygous rider enactment for solo guests, and the coaster volition boast 360-degree rotation, which is meant to make the sensation of a car drifting. The way is 4,100 feet and volition instrumentality guests connected a hillside travel betwixt the park’s precocious and little lots.

The “Fast & Furious” saga spans 11 films, and volition soon beryllium recognized with an grounds astatine the Petersen Automotive Museum. “A Fast & Furious Legacy: 25 Years of Automotive Icons” opens March 14 and volition diagnostic assorted movie-used vehicles and stunt cars. Among the cars connected show volition beryllium an aboriginal ‘90s Supra driven by Paul Walker’s quality Brian O’Conner, 1 of the vehicles Universal mimicked for the roller coaster.