Vin Diesel has shared the very first picture from the set of Fast & Furious 7. The photo features him and co-conspirator Paul Walker, with the very cryptic caption: ¡°The unknown road ahead¡­ P.s. One from the set.¡±

Diesel uploaded the photo on his Facebook page and has since spread like a suited up VL turbo across the Internet. He backed up his photo, by releasing an online video, thanking fans of the franchise for their support over the years.

In the clip, Diesel says that him and his compatriots are filming the first scene of the movie, which is scheduled for release in July 2014.

Diesel will be joined by favourties, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster and Ludacris, who have all confirmed that they are back for the seventh film.

However, the newest kid on the block looks to be the most dangerous yet, with Jason Statham signing up to play the main villain, following his post credits cameo at the end of Fast 6. That might not be end of the villains with Kurt Russell apparently eying a role in the film, but nothing has been confirmed just yet.

The series is under new direction, with Justin Lin (who directed Tokyo Drift, Fast Four, Five and Six) leaving the franchise. His replacement is Saw creator James Wan, who is coming off the back of the success film, ¡°The Conjuring¡±, which has received critical acclaim.

Shooting got underway earlier this month with Abu Dhabi and Atlanta confirmed as locations, so the grab looks set for more global road mayhem. Fast & Furious 6 took a massive $785 million at cinemas worldwide, making it the most successful film in the franchise yet.

To date the franchise has raked in a collective $2.3 billion at the global box office since the series began in 2001.