Cars (franchise)

Cars is the second franchise created by Pixar and distributed by Disney, after Toy Story. Cars was released on June 9, 2006, Cars 2 was released on June 24, 2011, and Cars 3 was released on June 15, 2017. A 2013 spin-off film titled Planes, produced by Disneytoon Studios was also made, which was followed up by Planes: Fire & Rescue on July 18, 2014. The first two films were directed by John Lasseter, the CEO of Pixar Animation Studios while the third movie was directed by Brian Fee. Cars is considered to be Pixar's "anniversary" franchise as both films marked Pixar's 20th and 25th anniversaries respectively. Together, the three films have received over $1.4 billion in box office revenue worldwide.
==Film series==
===Cars (2006)===
Cars is the seventh film by Pixar. The story is about rookie race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), who gets lost on the way to a tiebreaker race in the Piston Cup and ends up in a little Arizona town called Radiator Springs on Route 66, which had since been forgotten because the Interstate was built. He accidentally wrecks the road and is sentenced to fix it. During his time, he goes tractor tipping with his new best friend Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), and goes on a drive with his future girlfriend, Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt). After McQueen fixes the road, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) no longer wants him in town, so he calls the news crew to take McQueen to Los Angeles, but it doesn't take long for Doc to realize how much he's helped Radiator Springs, so he goes back to being the Hudson Hornet and becomes McQueen's crew chief, while most of the Radiator Springs folks become his pit crew. McQueen is about to win the race but helps The King (Richard Petty) cross the finish line after Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton) crashes him and wins the Piston Cup after being in third on the last lap, but is booed by everyone as comeuppance. Despite his loss, Lightning is offered to be the new face of Dinoco, but he decides to stay with Rust-eze. He does, however, arrange for Mater to ride in the Dinoco helicopter just like McQueen promised. The film ends with McQueen setting up his racing headquarters in Radiator Springs, thereby putting it back on the map.
===Cars 2 (2011)===
Cars 2 is the twelfth film from Pixar. The story is about Lightning McQueen competing in the first World Grand Prix, a three-part race set in Japan, Italy, and England that'll determine the world's fastest racecar. His rival in the race is the Italian Formula One car, Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro). Along the way, Mater is mistaken for a spy by a British spy car, Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), and falls in love with McMissile's assistant Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). The three of them uncover a plot to sabotage the race led by Professor Zündapp (Thomas Kretschmann) and a group of lemon cars, including Grem (Joe Mantegna) and Acer (Peter Jacobson). When the race reaches its conclusion in England, Mater figures out that Miles Axlerod (Eddie Izzard) is the mastermind behind the plot to sabotage the race, since he started it in the first place and had intended for cars everywhere to run on oil as revenge for the lemons' reputation as being "history's biggest loser cars," implying that Axlerod is also a lemon. With the plot foiled and the villains defeated, Mater is knighted by the Queen of England (Vanessa Redgrave), and a new race is held in Radiator Springs. Mater is offered to join McMissile and Shiftwell on another mission, but he chooses to stay. He does, however, get to keep the rocket engines he acquired as the two agents take off in Siddeley (Jason Isaacs), the British spy jet.
===Cars 3 (2017)===
Cars 3 was released in 2017 and is Pixar's 18th film. As a story of legacy with Lightning McQueen and Cruz Ramirez. Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician with her own plan to win, inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn't through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing's biggest stage!
==Television series==
===Mater's Tall Tales===
Mater's Tall Tales is a series of short animated films or Cars Toons by Pixar featuring the characters Mater and Lightning McQueen from the film Cars. The first short premiered in 2008 on Disney Channel, Toon Disney, and ABC Family. Not exclusive to television, the episodes have also premiered on DVDs/Blu-rays, or as a theatrical short. A total of 11 episodes have been released, with Time Travel Mater (2012) being the latest.
All shorts in the series follow the same tall tale formula: Mater tells a story of something he has done in the past. When Lightning questions Mater over whether the events in the story actually occurred (or, in some episodes, asks him what he did next), Mater always claims that Lightning was also involved, and continues the story including McQueen's sudden (and usually unwilling) participation. The shorts end with Mater leaving the scene, often followed by characters or references to the story that was being told, suggesting the story might be real.
===Tales from Radiator Springs===
Tales from Radiator Springs is a series of two-minute short animated films or Cars Toons. The first three episodes - Hiccups, Bugged, and Spinning premiered on March 22, 2013, on Disney Channel, and have been available online since March 24, 2013.
===Cars on the Road===
The series follows Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater on a rollicking road trip across the United States as they journey eastward to attend a wedding for the latter's sister. These episodes are filled with lots of fun new characters, imaginative destinations as well as old friends checking in along the way.
==Short films==
===Mater and the Ghostlight===
Mater and the Ghostlight is a 2006 Pixar computer-animated short created for the DVD of Cars, which was released on October 25, 2006, in Australia and in the United States on November 7, 2006. The short, set in the Cars world, tells a story of Mater being haunted by a mysterious blue light.
==Spin-offs==
Disneytoon Studios, Pixar's sister company, was working on spin-off films set in the Cars world, featuring other types of vehicles. Besides the Planes films, they were also developing spin-offs featuring boats and trains prior to the studio's closure in 2018.
===Planes===
Planes is a computer-animated Cars spin-off film produced by Disneytoon Studios. The first of two films, where the main characters are planes, was released in theaters by Walt Disney Pictures on August 9, 2013. The film was directed by Klay Hall and produced by John Lasseter. In the film, Dusty Crophopper, a small-town crop dusting plane, despite the fear of heights, follows his dreams by competing in a world air race.
===Planes: Fire & Rescue===
A sequel to Planes, titled Planes: Fire & Rescue, was released in theaters on July 18, 2014. Also produced by Disneytoon Studios, it was directed by Bobs Gannaway.
==Cast and characters==
===Film series===
Character 	Main films 	Main films 	Main films 	Shorts 	Role
Character 	Cars 	Cars 2 	Cars 3 	Mater and the Ghostlight 	Role
Lightning McQueen 	Owen Wilson 	Owen Wilson 	Owen Wilson 	Owen Wilson 	"A hybrid between a stock car and a more curvaceous Le Mans endurance racer."
Tow Mater 	Larry the Cable Guy 	Larry the Cable Guy 	Larry the Cable Guy 	Larry the Cable Guy 	A 1951 International Harvester L-170 "boom" truck with elements of a mid-1950s Chevrolet. One-Ton Wrecker Tow Truck.
Doc Hudson 	Paul Newman 	 	Paul Newman (archive audio)	Paul Newman 	A 1951 Hudson Hornet, later revealed to be the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.
Sally Carrera 	Bonnie Hunt 	Bonnie Hunt 	Bonnie Hunt 	Bonnie Hunt 	A 2002 996-series Porsche 911 Carrera.
Luigi 	Tony Shalhoub 	Tony Shalhoub 	Tony Shalhoub 	N/A 	A 1959 Fiat 500.
Guido 	Guido Quaroni 	Guido Quaroni 	Guido Quaroni 	N/A 	A custom forklift, resembling an Isetta at the front.
Ramone 	Cheech Marin 	Cheech Marin 	Cheech Marin 	Cheech Marin 	A 1959 Chevy Impala Lowrider.
Flo 	Jenifer Lewis 	Jenifer Lewis 	Jenifer Lewis 	N/A 	A 1957 General Motors Motorama show car.
Sarge 	Paul Dooley 	Paul Dooley 	Paul Dooley 	N/A 	A 1941 Willys model jeep, in the style used by the US Military.
Fillmore 	George Carlin 	Lloyd Sherr 	Lloyd Sherr 	N/A 	A 1960 VW Bus.
Sheriff 	Michael Wallis 	Michael Wallis 	Michael Wallis 	Michael Wallis 	A 1949 Mercury Club Coupe (police package).
Lizzie 	Katherine Helmond 	Katherine Helmond 	Katherine Helmond 	N/A 	A 1923 Ford Model T.
Mack 	John Ratzenberger 	John Ratzenberger 	John Ratzenberger 	N/A 	A 1985 Mack Super-Liner.
Red 	Joe Ranft 	N/A 	Jerome Ranft 	N/A 	A 1960s style fire truck (most closely resembles a mid-1960s Pirsch pumper but also resembles American LaFrance models).
Darrell Cartrip 	Darrell Waltrip 	Darrell Waltrip 	Darrell Waltrip 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Mia 	Lindsey Collins 	N/A 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1992 Mazda Miata.
Tia 	Elissa Knight 	N/A 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1992 Mazda Miata.
Van 	Richard Kind 	Richard Kind 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 2003 Ford Windstar.
Minny 	Edie McClurg 	Edie McClurg 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1996 Dodge Caravan.
Finn McMissile 	Does not appearin Cars 	Michael Caine 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A car based on an Aston Martin DB5 and other 1960's English sports cars.
Holley Shiftwell 	Does not appearin Cars 	Emily Mortimer 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A car resembling a Jaguar XJR-15.
Francesco Bernoulli 	Does not appearin Cars 	John Turturro 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Formula One race car.
Jeff Gorvette 	Does not appearin Cars 	Jeff Gordon 	Jeff Gordon 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Chevrolet Corvette C6.R.
Lewis Hamilton 	Does not appearin Cars 	Lewis Hamilton 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A race car based on a McLaren MP4-12C.
Shu Todoroki 	Does not appearin Cars 	N/A 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Dome S102.
Nigel Gearsley 	Does not appearin Cars 	N/A 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	An Aston Martin DBR9.
Siddeley 	Does not appearin Cars 	Jason Isaacs 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Gulfstream V.
Professor Zündapp 	Does not appearin Cars 	Thomas Kretschmann 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1957 Zündapp Janus.
Grem 	Does not appearin Cars 	Joe Mantegna 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1974 AMC Gremlin.
Acer 	Does not appearin Cars 	Peter Jacobson 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A beat-up green 1975 AMC Pacer 2-door hatchback.
Victor Hugo 	Does not appearin Cars 	Stanley Townsend 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Yugo GL and head of the Hugo lemon family.
Vladimir Trunkov 	Does not appearin Cars 	Stanley Townsend 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1975 ZAZ-968M Zaporozhets and head of the Trunkov lemon family.
Tubbs Pacer 	Does not appearin Cars 	Brad Lewis 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1975 AMC Pacer and head of the Pacer lemon family.
J. Curby Gremlin 	Does not appearin Cars 	John Mainieri 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1974 AMC Gremlin and head of the Gremlin lemon family.
Rod Redline 	Does not appearin Cars 	Bruce Campbell 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A mix of a Ford Mustang with a Dodge Challenger.
Miles Axlerod 	Does not appearin Cars 	Eddie Izzard 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A modified Range Rover L322.
Tomber 	Does not appearin Cars 	Michel Michelis 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A car that largely resembles a Reliant Regal three-wheeler with some details from the Citroën Ami and DS models.
Mama Topolino 	Does not appearin Cars 	Vanessa Redgrave (US)Sophia Loren (IT)	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1950s Renault (or maybe Alfa Romeo) Dauphine.
Uncle Topolino 	Does not appearin Cars 	Franco Nero 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1937 Fiat 500 "Topolino".
John Lassetire 	Does not appearin Cars 	John Lasseter 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	An early 1990s Chevy S-10 and Jeff Gorvette's crew chief.
Mach Matsuo 	Does not appearin Cars 	Unknown voice actor 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Datsun 240Z and Shu Todoroki's crew chief.
Austin Littleton 	Does not appearin Cars 	N/A 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1961 Austin Mini and Nigel Gearsley's crew chief.
Brent Mustangburger 	Does not appearin Cars 	Brent Musburger 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1965 Ford Mustang Coupe.
David Hobbscap 	Does not appearin Cars 	David Hobbs 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1963 Coombs Lightweight Jaguar E-Type.
Crabby the Boat 	Does not appearin Cars 	Sig Hansen 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A boat based on a Purse Seiner.
The Queen 	Does not appearin Cars 	Vanessa Redgrave 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Rolls-Royce Phantom IV.
Prince Wheeliam 	Does not appearin Cars 	Unknown voice actor 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 2009 Bentley Continental GT.
Otis 	Does not appearin Cars 	Jeff Garlin 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Lada 2309.
Tony Trihull 	Does not appearin Cars 	Lloyd Sherr 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A boat based on the USS Independence.
Ivan 	Does not appearin Cars 	Stanley Townsend 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1956 Chevrolet 4100 tow truck.
Strip "The King" Weathers 	Richard Petty 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Richard Petty 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	The car's design was based on Richard Petty's 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
Chick Hicks 	Michael Keaton 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Bob Peterson 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A generic 1980s stock car, described by Pixar as "Strongly resembles a 1978–88 General Motors G-Body such as Buick Regal or Grand National".
Lynda "Mrs. The King" Weathers	Lynda Petty 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1974 Chrysler Town & Country.
Tex Dinoco 	Humpy Wheeler 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Humpy Wheeler 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.
Junior 	Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A NASCAR Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.
"Mario Andretti" #11 	Mario Andretti 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1967 Ford Fairlane.
Bob Cutlass 	Bob Costas 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Bob Costas 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora, although the Aurora was never offered as a 2 door model.
Fred 	Andrew Stanton 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A car.
Michael Schumacher 	Michael Schumacher 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 2006 Ferrari F430.
Woody Car 	Tom Hanks 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A toy car.
Buzz Lightyear Car 	Tim Allen 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A toy car.
Hamm Car 	John Ratzenberger 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A toy car.
Mike Wazowski Car 	Billy Crystal 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A car.
Sullivan Truck 	John Goodman 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A monster truck.
Yeti Snowplow 	John Ratzenberger 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A snowplow.
Flik Beetle 	Dave Foley 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A Volkswagen Beetle.
P.T. Flea Car 	John Ratzenberger 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A car.
DJ 	E.J. Holowicki 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 2004 Scion xB.
Wingo 	Adrian Ochoa 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 2000 Nissan Silvia (S15).
Boost 	Jonas Rivera 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse.
Snot Rod 	Lou Romano 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1970 Plymouth Barracuda.
Harv 	Jeremy Piven (US)Jeremy Clarkson (UK)	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1996 Oldsmobile. (US)A 1979 Ford Granada Ghia. (UK)
Jerry Recycled Batteries 	Joe Ranft 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Does not appearin Cars 3 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 1979 Peterbilt 352.
Cruz Ramirez 	Does not appearin Cars 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Cristela Alonzo 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A yellow Ferrari.
Jackson Storm 	Does not appearin Cars 	Does not appearin Cars 2 	Armie Hammer 	Does not appear inMater and the Ghostlight	A 2017 Custom-built "Next-Gen" Piston Cup Racer.
*Note: A grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
===Cars Toons===
====Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales====
Character 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Character 	Season 1 	Season 1 	Season 1 	Season 2 	Season 2 	Season 2 	Season 2 	Season 2 	Season 2 	Season 3 	Season 3
Character 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Tow Mater 	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy 	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy	Larry the Cable Guy
Lightning McQueen	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson 	Keith Ferguson
Luigi 	N/A 	N/A 	 	Tony Shalhoub 	N/A 	 	N/A 	 	N/A 	 	
Guido 	N/A 	N/A 	 	Guido Quaroni 	Guido Quaroni 	 	Guido Quaroni 	 	N/A 	N/A 	
Ramone 	 	N/A 	 	 	N/A 	 	N/A 	 	N/A 	 	
Flo 	 	N/A 	 	 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	 	N/A 	 	
Sarge 	 	N/A 	 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	 	 	 	
Fillmore 	 	N/A 	 	George Carlin(archival recording)	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	 	 	 	
Sheriff 	 	 	 	 	Michael Wallis 	 	 	 	 	 	
Red 	N/A 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Lizzie 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Katherine Helmond
Stanley 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	John Michael Higgins
DJ 	 	 	 	 	E.J. Holowicki 	 	 	 	 	 	
Wingo 	 	 	 	 	Adrian Ochoa 	 	 	 	 	 	
Boost 	 	 	 	 	Jonas Rivera 	 	 	 	 	 	
Kabuto 	 	 	 	 	Tony Kobayashi 	 	 	 	 	 	
Ito-San 	 	 	 	 	Robert Ito 	 	 	 	 	 	
Mia 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	Lindsey Collins 	
Tia 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	Elissa Knight 	
====Cars Toons: Tales from Radiator Springs====
Character 	 	 	 	
Mater 	Larry the Cable Guy	 	N/A 	Larry the Cable Guy
Lightning McQueen	Keith Ferguson 	 	Keith Ferguson	Owen Wilson
Sally 	Bonnie Hunt 	 	 	Bonnie Hunt
Luigi 	Tony Shalhoub 	 	Tony Shalhoub 	Tony Shalhoub
Guido 	Guido Quaroni 	 	Guido Quaroni 	Guido Quaroni
Flo 	Jenifer Lewis 	 	 	Jenifer Lewis
Sarge 	Paul Dooley 	 	Paul Dooley 	Paul Dooley
Fillmore 	Lloyd Sherr 	 	Lloyd Sherr 	Lloyd Sherr
Sheriff 	Michael Wallis 	 	Michael Wallis	Michael Wallis
Red 	Jerome Ranft 	Jerome Ranft	N/A 	N/A
Ramone 	 	 	Cheech Marin 	Cheech Marin
Sandy Dunes 	 	 	 	Steve Purcell
Shifty Sidewinder	 	 	 	Danny Mann
Blue Grit 	 	 	 	Jess Harnell
Idle Threat 	 	 	 	John Cygan
*Note: A grey cell indicates the character was not in the series.
==Other media==
===Video games===
A Cars video game based upon the movie, developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ, was released on June 6, 2006 (3 days before the release of the movie). It received Xbox's "Platinum Hits," PlayStation's "Greatest Hits," and Nintendo's "Player's Choice" on May 2007. Two sequels, with Cars: Mater-National Championship being the first and Cars Race-O-Rama being the second, were also released. A Mater's Tall Tales game was also released. A video game based on Cars 2 was developed by Avalanche Software and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and Nintendo DS on June 21, 2011. The PlayStation 3 version of the game was reported to be compatible with stereoscopic 3D gameplay. Another game based upon Cars 3, Cars 3: Driven to Win, developed again by Avalanche and published by Warner Bros. Games, released on June 13, 2017 for PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and One, Nintendo Switch, and Wii U. This game features many similarities to Cars 2: The Video Game, now using elements from Cars 3.
===Similar films===
Marcus Aurelius Canônico of Folha de S. Paulo described The Little Cars series (Os Carrinhos in Portuguese), a Brazilian computer graphics film series, as a derivative of Cars. Canônico discussed whether lawsuits from Pixar would appear. The Brazilian Ministry of Culture posted Marcus Aurelius Canônico's article on its website.
It has also been noted that the plot of Cars bears a striking resemblance to that of Doc Hollywood, the 1991 romantic comedy which stars Michael J. Fox as a hotshot young doctor, who, after causing a traffic accident in a small town, is sentenced to work at the town hospital, falls in love with a local law student and eventually acquires an appreciation for small town values.
==Merchandising==
The Mattel-produced 1/55 scale Toy Cars were some of the most popular toys of the 2006 Summer Season. Dozens of characters are represented, with some having multiple versions available. Several stores had trouble keeping the toys in stock, and some models are still difficult to find. because of being shipped in lower numbers than other characters. Some online Disney enthusiasts are comparing it to the same shortage that Mattel faced with its Toy Story line in 1995. On August 14, 2007, the die-cast Sarge car, made between May and July 2007, was recalled due to "impermissible levels of lead" used in the paint. Another Cars product which followed the Disney-Pixar Cars Die-Cast Line were miniature versions of the characters which were painted in different colors to represent different events. These are called Cars Toons. Also, Lego made some sets for the sequel. On June 22, 2006, Disney Consumer Products announced that Cars merchandise broke records for retail sales based on a Disney-Pixar product, recording 10-to-1 more volume than Finding Nemo. DCP reports that product expansion will take place in the fall alongside the DVD release of the film. Mattel has announced that Cars toys will continue through 2008 with the release of at least 80 new vehicles. A 36 car pack called "Motor Speedway of the South" will feature most of the race cars seen during the opening race sequence of the film. (This is also the name for the track race in the film) Estimates from the New York Daily News indicate that sales of Cars merchandise two weeks out from the release of the film amounted to US$600 million. Estimates put out in November by the Walt Disney Company peg total sales for the brand at around $1 billion.
Kelley Blue Book, a resource for appraising values of vehicles, has humorously "appraised" four of the cars, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally Carrera, and Doc Hudson according to their make/model and personalities. The United States Department of Transportation has used scenes from the movie in a commercial regarding the Click It or Ticket campaign. In conjunction with the film's release, a chocolate ice cream on a stick resembling a car tire was released in Australia. These ice creams were called "Burnouts". The naming of the particular product sparked controversy as the name "Burnouts" was believed to have encouraged street racing and committing burnouts. These acts are illegal and heavy fines and convictions are issued to those committing these acts in Australia. It is unknown as to whether the products have been discontinued. In Norway, the candy company Nidar produced candy with the characters on the outer packaging and pictures of the characters on the packaging of the assorted candy on the inside. These bags also came with Cars themed tattoos. In the U.S., an animated Wal-Mart truck can be seen on a Wal-Mart advertisements for Cars. In the Wal-Mart TV commercial, the Wal-Mart truck was talking to Mater. In South Africa, Italy, and several other countries where Opel is present (or with Opel models under Chevrolet and Vauxhall brand), GM has a campaign featuring an General Motors Astra, an Opel Meriva, and a General Motors Zafira as characters in the world of Cars, including TV ads made by Pixar, with the Opel models interacting with Lightning McQueen, Mater and Ramone. The first ad involved the Opels coming to Radiator Springs as tourists. The second involved their failed attempts at auditioning for Mater. In the end the Opels lost the part to the real Mater. In July 2006, greeting card giant Hallmark Cards unveiled its line of 2006 Keepsake Christmas ornaments. Among the collection was an ornament featuring Lightning McQueen and Mater. There is also a Cars children's clothing line, which produces various T-shirts and shorts.
In Japan, Disney Japan and Toyota backed racing team Cars Racing replaced its racing car "Toy Story apr MR-S" and introduced the "Lightning McQueen apr MR-S" for the 2008 Super GT season. The car was based on the Toyota MR-S and the externals of the car were modeled on its of McQueen as much as possible. This include their number change from their original No.101 to McQueen's #95. They won in Race 3 that season.
==Theme park attractions==
A Cars-based attraction opened at Walt Disney Studios Paris (France) in 2007 and a Cars-based land opened in Disney California Adventure Park in June 2012.
===Cars Land===
Cars Land is a 12-acre land located at the Disney California Adventure Park which contains an entire interactive replica of the town of Radiator Springs from the Cars franchise. The land includes several restaurants and three rides: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Luigi's Casa De la Tires, and finally the main "E-Ticket" attraction, Radiator Springs Racers. This ride is one of the most expensive rides Disney has ever built; at a cost of over $200 million. Radiator Springs Racers lets guests race against each other around Ornament Valley while riding on their favorite Cars characters. Cars Land opened on June 15, 2012 with the completion of Disney California Adventure Park's expansion along with Buena Vista Street.
===Cars Quatre Roues Rallye===
Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, or Cars Race Rally, is an attraction at Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée. The attraction opened on June 9, 2007 as part of the park's expansion land, Toon Studio. The ride opened one year after Cars showed its first screening. The attraction's setting is the small town of Radiator Springs (located in Toon Studio). The attraction's station is themed to a car service station located in the desert. The attraction is surrounded by boulders which imitates the rocky formations of the Grand Canyon. The ride system is actually a highly themed Zamperla Demolition Derby.
Riders begin the attraction by sitting down in one of the generic car-shaped vehicles. The vehicles are located on one of the four spinning plateaus. The attraction's layout is similar to that of "Francis' Ladybug Boogie" attraction at Disney California Adventure Park and the "Whirlpool" at Tokyo DisneySea, as the vehicles automatically change from one spinning plateau to the next. The vehicles change plateaus while carrying out the rotation inversion of eight separate vehicles. Cars Race Rally is currently the only operating Disney ride themed to the Cars franchise at Disneyland Paris.
==Trivia==
*This is the only Pixar franchise not to contain any human characters.
*This is the first Pixar franchise where not every films were composed by the same composer. Most of the Cars films, with the exception of Cars 2 which was composed by Michael Giacchino, were composed by Randy Newman. Also, the four Toy Story films and both Monsters, Inc. films were all composed by Newman, both Finding Nemo films were composed by Newman's cousin Thomas and both Incredibles films were composed by Giacchino.
*For some reason, Cars 3 wasn't included in the kids profiles of Disney+.
*Anthropomorphizing the cars, using the windshield for the eyes and eyelids, was inspired by the 1952 animated short, Susie the Little Blue Coupe.
==External links==
*
*Official website
*World of Cars Wiki
*
*
es:Cars (franquicia)
pl:Auta (franczyza)
Category:Cars
Category:Disney franchises
Category:Pixar
Category:Pixar franchises