Engines rev at memorial for Fast &Furious star Paul Walker at crash site near Los Angeles

The sounds of high-performance car engines filled the air as thousands of fans, friends and car enthusiasts headed to the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita to pay tribute to Paul Walker at the site where the Fast & Furious actor died in a car crash.

The memorial was scheduled to begin at noon on Sunday, but mourners began arriving hours beforehand to leave flowers, candles, stuffed animals and other tributes.

By afternoon, about 5,000 people, including entire families with children, dropped by, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Captain Mike Parker said, adding that the gathering was mostly peaceful.

Many arrived in cars built for speed, and the sounds of engines revving echoed close to where Walker and his friend died on November 30. The event concluded on Sunday evening with a cruise through the area 50 kilometres northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Walker, 40, was killed when the Porsche he was riding in smashed into a light pole and tree and burst into flames. The actor's friend, Roger Rodas, who was driving, also died.