'Furious 7' races past expectations with $143.6 million box office take.

• Author: Bahr, Lindsey
• Position: News

Byline: LINDSEY BAHR

LOS ANGELES -- The high-octane ''Furious 7'' peeled out of the gates in its opening weekend, picking up a stunning $143.6 million from 4,004 locations to easily top the domestic box office, according to Rentrak estimates Sunday.

The expectation-shattering sum is a studio and franchise best for the homegrown car-obsessed series, which has continued to grow over the past few films.

''Furious 7,'' now the ninth-biggest opening of all time, also unseats previous April record-holder ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier,'' which opened to $95 million on the same weekend last year.

While the ''Fast and Furious'' films have grown in popularity over the past three...