5 New Roller Coasters to Make You Scream This Summer

This summer, a new crop of highly anticipated roller coasters will launch riders to dizzying heights, take them on beyond-vertical plunges and let them drift like drag racers.Too much adrenaline? There are also plenty of less intense family-friendly options that will leave fewer people sitting it out to be designated bag holders (though we thrill seekers thank them for their service).Here are five of the most exciting offerings at U.S.theme parks.Fast & Furious: Hollywood DriftUniversal Studios HollywoodThemed after the popular “Fast & Furious” film franchise, the ride, set to open this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood, in Universal City, Calif., includes multiple launches and inversions and reaches a top speed of 72 miles per hour.

Its vehicles are patterned off the cars in the movies, so you can ride in the Dodge Charger that the character Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) drives, as well as a Mazda RX-7, a Toyota Supra and a Nissan Skyline GT-R.The cars spin individually to give riders the feel of drifting while maneuvering the twisty track.

The ride, set to be a stunning new addition to the park, will make great use of Universal’s hilly terrain.Plus, I love a coaster that goes all in on a theme.

The “Fast & Furious” movies have been a mixed bag over the last 25 years, but when this one finally hits the finish line, it should be a bright spot for the franchise.Tormenta Rampaging RunSix Flags Over TexasLike so much in Texas, this coaster goes big.Tormenta Rampaging Run marries a “giga coaster” — one with a height of 300 to 399 feet — with a “dive coaster,” a type that pauses riders at the top before making a nearly vertical (or beyond vertical) plunge, to create the world’s first giga dive coaster.

The ride opened on July 9 at Six Flags Over Texas, in Arlington, making it only the eighth operating giga coaster on earth.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Than...