Cars: Fast as Lightning

***Cars: Fast as Lightning*** is a customizable racing game that was released on iOS, Android and Windows Phone on October 9, 2014, featuring the characters from the *Cars* franchise.

It was removed in 2016, one year before the release of *Cars 3*.

The Windows version of the game was shut down even earlier, and there's no additional content like new characters for gems and etc. It was also available on PC (Windows 8, 8.1, 10 only) through the Microsoft Store, however, you can't obtain this game on Windows anymore, because it was taken out of the store. But the situation is similar to Android and iOS - it is obtainable through the user's apps and games library if it was owned earlier.

## Gameplay

*Cars: Fast as Lightning* combines elements of several different games, including *Disney Infinity*, *Clash of Clans*, *CityVille*, *Nemo's Reef*, and many others, and combines them into a customizable racing game using characters from the popular franchise. Players have a town that they can customize by constructing buildings and decorations that will provide them with coins. Coins can be used to purchase new buildings, as well as upgrade cars. Additionally, gems serve as a rarer type of currency, obtainable via real money, daily challenges or the Gem Mine.

In addition to the town, race tracks are customizable as well, with more tracks being unlocked as players progress through the game. Tracks can be customized with different types of road pieces, including curves, hills and more. These road pieces will give the player opportunities to perform tricks during races, awarding the player with a short boost.

In races, the player can do many different things to make themselves successful, including boosting, boost starting, performing tricks, or gaining XP. The XP meter will fill as the player gains XP, and when it fills, the player will be moved to the next level, unlocking new buildings and decorations.

Daily and weekly challenges are also featured as a way to obtain currency and friends can be added through social media or by sharing friend codes.

Despite being shut down - it is, most likely, the most balanced game in it's genre.

### Controls

*Cars: Fast as Lightning* uses a very simplified control scheme, consisting primarily of simple taps. When a player's car drives over a blue circle on a track, it will provide the player with a short boost if the screen is tapped while on one. Tricks can be performed by sliding a finger in the direction the arrow is demonstrating.

The pedal in the bottom right of the screen must be held in order for the player to accelerate. At the start of the race, if the pedal is tapped when the "Go!" sign appears, a boost start will be awarded to the player.

## Game modes

### Town

The town is where all of the buildings are stored, each one awarding coins to the player. As more buildings are placed, more currency will be awarded when the player opens the game up. In order to expand the town, a fee must be payed in order for Bessie, the cranes, pitties, and bulldozers to pave a new road. Each time an extension is bought, the next extension will cost higher.

All of the players' cars will be seen driving around town, alongside Sarge and Lizzie. Occasionally, a car will want to go to a certain building, and when they are brought to it, the player will be awarded with either an XP star, a coin, a fuel can or a gem.

Various unique buildings can be built to, including the Dinoco Stand, Gem Mine, Car Wash, and Movie Theater.

### Race

In order to progress in the game, the player must continually race against various different opponents. The ones that will award trophies are displayed next to the finish line of whatever track the player is playing on, with various different cars driving around the track. These cars can be raced against for additional XP, as well as a chance to earn a sticker for a new paint job.

The practice cars can either be AI characters or human players, with computer characters using the image of the character, with human players having a blue "friend" icon.

## Characters

### Playable characters

There are a total of 31 characters (29 of them are playable characters) in Cars: Fast as Lightning, consisting of 13 *Cars characters*, 6 *Cars Toons* characters, 9 *Cars 2* characters, and an original character. The last  2 are Sarge and Lizzie. Todd Marcus is the only car that is unlocked after the tutorial, and all other cars must be unlocked by earning their stickers.

Sandy DunesBlue GritIdle ThreatShifty SidewinderTodd MarcusChick HicksFillmoreTow MaterFloLuigiGuidoSheriffSnot RodWingoDJBoostMiguel CaminoCarla VelosoShu TodorokiRaoul ÇaRouleHolley ShiftwellFinn McMissileFrancesco BernoulliLightning McQueenCruz RamirezJackson StormRamoneThe KingSally CarreraSterlingSmokeyBuddyCal WeathersMax SchnellPyotr RacinovLong GeKomodoYokoza

#### Unlocking criteria

Unlike the previous *Cars* games, *Cars: Fast as Lightning* uses an orderly unlocking system. Once every race is won as one character, the next one will be unlocked, and so forth. Winning these races will provide the player with a "sticker". Once all of these are collected and every race is the won, the next character will be unlocked.

Each character has 2 (or more) extra paint jobs, which can be unlocked by earning stickers in practice races.

### Other characters

* Sarge
* Lizzie
* Bessie
* Bob Cutlass
* Darrell Cartrip
* Nelson Blindspot
* Chuck Choke Cables
* Hiroaki
* Takeshi
* Rotor Turbosky (*not named; does not speak*)
* Frank (Mater's Track)
* Tractors (Mater's Track)
* Colossus XXL (Mater's Track)
* Mator (*cameo*)
* Dexter Hoover (*cameo*)
* Dinoco Girls (*cameo*)
* Muggsy Liftsome (*cameo*)
* Tokyo Cranes (*cameo*)
* Chuy (*cameo*)
* Bulldozers (*cameo*)
* Doc Hudson (*cameo*)
* Ramone (*mentioned*)

## Tracks

* Lightning's Track (also the tutorial track)
* Todd's Track
* Chick's Track
* Fillmore's Track
* Mater's Track
* Flo's Track
* Luigi's Track
* Guido's Track
* Sheriff's Track
* SnotRod's Track
* Wingo's Track
* DJ's Track
* Boost's Track
* Miguel's Track
* Carla's Track
* Shu's Track
* Raoul's Track
* Holley's Track
* Finn's Track
* Francesco's Track
* Lightning's Track
* Max's Track (from the Christmas-themed update)
* Pyotr's Track (from the Ice Racers-themed update)
* Long Ge's Track (from the Ice Racers-themed update)
* Komodo's Track (from the Neon Racers-themed update)
* Yokoza's Track (from the Neon Racers-themed update)

## Races

Each character comes with a number of races, each against a different opponent. Winning a race will award the player a sticker for the next unlockable car.

### Todd Marcus

1. Fillmore
2. Tow Mater
3. Flo (earlier versions of the game, now she is not participating in Todd's story line)
4. Chick Hicks

### Chick Hicks

1. Tow Mater
2. Flo
3. Luigi
4. Guido
5. Sheriff
6. Fillmore

### Fillmore

1. Todd Marcus
2. Flo
3. Sheriff
4. SnotRod
5. Wingo
6. Tow Mater

### Tow Mater

1. Rookie Green Todd Marcus
2. Chick Hicks
3. Sheriff
4. SnotRod
5. Wingo
6. DJ
7. Boost
8. Flo

### Flo

1. Chick Hicks
2. Fillmore
3. Sheriff
4. Golden Champion Todd Marcus
5. DJ
6. Boost
7. Miguel Camino
8. Luigi

### Luigi

1. Purple Rage Chick Hicks
2. Todd Marcus
3. Tow Mater
4. Tie-Dye Fillmore
5. SnotRod
6. Wingo
7. Carla Veloso
8. Guido

### Guido

1. Fillmore
2. Flo
3. Tow Mater
4. Golden Champion Todd Marcus
5. Chick Hicks
6. DJ
7. Boost
8. Sheriff

### Sheriff

1. Flo
2. Mater the Greater Tow Mater
3. Luigi
4. Flower Power Fillmore
5. Wingo
6. Miguel Camino
7. Carla Veloso
8. SnotRod

### SnotRod

1. Luigi
2. Lightning Fan Guido
3. Rookie Green Todd Marcus
4. Chick Hicks
5. Fillmore
6. Flo
7. Tokyo Tow Mater
8. Wingo

### Wingo

1. Tokyo Tow Mater
2. Italian Racer Luigi
3. Guido
4. Retro Sheriff
5. Miguel Camino
6. Carla Veloso
7. Shu Todoroki
8. DJ

### DJ

1. Ranger Sheriff
2. Femme Fatale Flo
3. Tie-Dye Fillmore
4. Purple Rage Chick Hicks
5. SnotRod
6. Shu Todoroki
7. Raoul ÇaRoule
8. Boost

### Boost

1. Golden Champion Todd Marcus
2. Tokyo Tow Mater
3. Lightning Pit Car Guido
4. Italian Racer Luigi
5. Wingo
6. Carla Veloso
7. Raoul ÇaRoule
8. Miguel Camino

### Miguel Camino

1. Neon SnotRod
2. Party Time Wingo
3. Stay Gold DJ
4. Calm & Collected Boost
5. Sheriff
6. Shu Todoroki
7. Holley Shiftwell
8. Carla Veloso

### Carla Veloso

1. Todd Marcus
2. Chick Hicks
3. Tow Mater
4. Flower Power Fillmore
5. Ice Queen Flo
6. Raoul ÇaRoule
7. Finn McMissile
8. Shu Todoroki

### Shu Todoroki

1. Lightning Fan Luigi
2. Lightning Pit Car Guido
3. Neon Wingo
4. Sheriff
5. Neon Boost
6. Miguel Camino
7. Francesco Bernoulli
8. Raoul ÇaRoule

### Raoul ÇaRoule

1. Fillmore
2. Neon DJ
3. Flo
4. Jet-Black SnotRod
5. Mater the Greater Tow Mater
6. Spanish Flag Miguel Camino
7. Carnaval Carla Veloso
8. Holley Shiftwell

### Holley Shiftwell

1. Tow Mater
2. Luigi
3. Todd Marcus
4. Guido
5. Retro Sheriff
6. Tokyo Nights Shu Todoroki
7. Italian Wonder Francesco Bernoulli
8. Finn McMissile

### Finn McMissile

1. Tow Mater
2. Fillmore
3. Femme Fatale Flo
4. Ranger Sheriff
5. Boost
6. Quente Carla Veloso
7. French Flag Raoul ÇaRoule
8. Francesco Bernoulli

### Francesco Bernoulli

1. Lightning Fan Luigi
2. Lightning Fan Guido
3. DJ
4. Wingo
5. SnotRod
6. Japanese Flag Shu Todoroki
7. Para España Miguel Camino
8. Lightning McQueen

### Lightning McQueen

1. Tow Mater (only during training modes)
2. Rookie Green Todd Marcus
3. Dinoco Chick Hicks
4. Neon Boost
5. Para España Miguel Camino
6. Shu Todoroki
7. Carla Veloso
8. Raoul ÇaRoule
9. Francesco Bernoulli
10. Cruz Ramirez

#### Cruz Ramirez

1. Francesco Bernoulli
2. Dinoco Chick Hicks
3. Max Schnell
4. DJ
5. Lightning McQueen
6. Bubby
7. Sheriff
8. The King
9. Flo
10. Jackson Storm

#### Jackson Storm

1. Cal Weathers
2. Blue Grit
3. Sheriff
4. Dinoco Lightning McQueen
5. Sally Carrera
6. Bubby
7. Idle Threat
8. Green Envy Franecesco Bernoulli
9. Flo
10. Ramone

### Ramone

1. Flo
2. Sterling
3. Retro Look Lightning McQueen
4. Chick Hicks
5. Luigi
6. Tow Mater
7. DJ
8. Rookie Green Todd Marcus
9. Guido
10. The King

### The King

1. Dinoco Lightning McQueen
2. Dinoco Chick Hicks
3. Dinoco Cruz Ramirez
4. DJ
5. Luigi
6. Flo
7. Miguel Camino
8. Ramone
9. Jackson Storm
10. Sally Carrera

### Sally Carrera

1. Lightning McQueen
2. Jackson Storm
3. The King
4. Chick Hicks
5. Long Ge
6. Max Schnell
7. Guido
8. Flo
9. Dinoco Cruz Ramirez
10. Sterling

### Sterling

1. Cruz Ramirez
2. The King
3. Long Ge
4. Bubby
5. Fillmore
6. Guido
7. Flo
8. Wingo
9. Lightning McQueen
10. Smokey

### Smokey

1. Lightning McQueen
2. Flo
3. Sally Carrera
4. Cruz Ramirez
5. DJ
6. Luigi
7. Finn McMissile
8. The King
9. Holley Shiftwell
10. Buddy

### Buddy

1. Sally Carrera
2. Flo
3. Ramone
4. The King
5. Max Schnell
6. Komodo
7. Sandy Dunes
8. DJ
9. Lightning McQueen
10. Cal Weathers

### Cal Westhers

1. Dinoco Lightning McQueen
2. Dinoco Chick Hicks
3. Dinoco Cruz Ramirez
4. The King
5. DJ
6. Flo
7. Ramone
8. Sally Carrera
9. Max Schnell

### Max Schnell

1. Mater
2. Boost
3. Miguel Camino
4. Carla Veloso
5. Shu Todoroki
6. Raoul ÇaRoule
7. Francesco Bernoulli
8. Lightning McQueen
9. Pyotr Racinov

### Pyotr Racinov

1. Winter Tow Mater
2. ICE Miguel Camino
3. ICE Raoul ÇaRoule
4. ICE Carla Veloso
5. ICE Shu Todoroki
6. ICE Francesco Bernoulli
7. ICE Max Schnell
8. ICE Lightning McQueen
9. Long Ge

### Long Ge

1. Winter Tow Mater
2. Ice Queen Flo
3. Bohemian Dragon Fillmore
4. ICE Max Schnell
5. ICE Carla Veloso
6. ICE Pyotr Racinov
7. ICE Shu Todoroki
8. Eastern Breeze Lightning McQueen
9. Yokoza

### Yokoza

1. Tokyo Tow Mater
2. Neon DJ
3. Police Car Holley Shiftwell
4. Airport Security Finn McMissile
5. Neon Boost
6. The King
7. Neon Shu Todoroki
8. Neon Lightning McQueen
9. Komodo

### Komodo

1. Neon Max Schnell
2. Neon Wingo
3. Neon Carla Veloso
4. Neon Miguel Camino
5. Neon Raoul ÇaRaoule
6. Neon Francesco Bernoulli
7. Neon Lightning McQueen
8. Neon Shu Todoroki
9. Yokoza

### Homes

* Todd Marcus - Todd's Pit
* Chick Hicks - Chick's Pit
* Fillmore - Fillmore's Taste In
* Tow Mater - Mater's Towing and Salvage
* Flo - Flo's V8 Cafe
* Luigi - Luigi's Casa Della Tires
* Guido - Guido's Italian Ice Shop and Rusty Bumper (sometimes)
* Sheriff - Courthouse
* SnotRod - SnotRod's Gym
* Wingo - Wingo's Digs
* DJ - Nightclub
* Boost - Boost's Nitro Shop
* Miguel Camino - Miguel's Pit
* Carla Veloso - Carla's Pit
* Shu Todoroki - Shu's Pit
* Raoul ÇaRoule - Raoul's Pit
* Holley Shiftwell - Holley's Hideout
* Finn McMissile - McMissile's Pad
* Francesco Bernoulli - Francesco's Pit
* Lightning McQueen - Lightning's Pit
* Max Schnell - Max's Pit
* Pyotr Racinov - Pyotr's Pit
* Long Ge - Long Ge's Pit
* Komodo - Komodo's Pit
* Yokoza - Yokoza's Pit
* Sarge - Sarge's Surplus Hut
* Lizzie - Lizzie's Curious Shop
* Shifty Sidewinder - None
* Idle Threat - None
* Blue Grit - None
* Sandy Dunes - None

Shifty Sidewinder, Idle Threat, Blue Grit and Sandy Dunes, do not have any homes for some reason. All they do is drive around the town, and they don't have their own race tracks either, and Sarge along with Max Schnell do not sleep anywhere for some reason. All they do is drive around the town.

## Updates

### 1.0.1

This update included some minor bug fixes and overall improvements created from feedback that the game received. In addition to these fixes, a new feature was added, allowing certain buildings to go on sale for a limited amount of time.

### 1.1.0

The setting was changed to a Christmas theme, with new decorations and track pieces, along with Max Schnell added as a playable character.

Later, downloadable content that has a theme of the Chinese New Year was released.

### 1.2.0

Content from the Ice Racers die-cast line was added, including the character Pyotr Racinov.

Later, more decorations and Long Ge were added.

### 1.3.0

Content from the Neon Racers die-cast line was added, including decorations and track pieces themed after Tokyo, and *Tokyo Mater* characters Komodo and Yokoza.

Later, Shifty Sidewinder, Idle Threat, Blue Grit, and Sandy Dunes were added, and a couple of minor bugs were fixed.

## Development

Development for the game was most likely started sometime in late 2013/early 2014, with the game being confirmed and shown off at E3. Initially, the release date was simply known as "Q3 2014", but an official date was set three days prior to the game's release.

## Promotion and advertising

### YouTube trailers

On October 6, 2014, Gameloft released a teaser trailer to its official YouTube channel, showing off some minor gameplay elements, alongside the official release date of October 9, 2014.

A launch trailer was released on the same day the game released, showing off more features that the game contains, including various clips of races on different tracks, as well as the town.

Gameloft have also released trailers for each of the updates.

## Reception

*Cars: Fast as Lightning* received generally positive reviews, its main praises being its smooth and detailed animations and the way it combines city-building elements with *Cars* characters. The game was criticized, however, for its simplistic gameplay, with some reviewers stating, "It's probably too simplistic for anyone except youngsters."

On Metacritic, it has been met with positive reviews, though it is still awaiting two more reviews for an overall score to be posted.

## Beta elements

Originally the official main theme was the  *Cars: Race-O-Rama* main theme, but was instead changed to an entirely new music track.

This gallery reveals 6 cancelled cars that never made it:

* Nigel Gearsley
* Mia and Tia
* Red
* Tex Dinoco
* John Lassetire
* Ramone

## Beta Characters Gallery

Nigel GearsleyMia and TiaRedTex DinocoJohn LassetireRamone

## Beta Paints-Job's Gallery

Hudson Hornet McQueenDragon McQueenAviator MaterAviator Mater 2
## Staff

Gameloft is the primary developer of *Cars: Fast as Lightning*, with some of the voice actors being Owen Wilson (Lightning McQueen), Larry the Cable Guy (Tow Mater), Jerry Trainor (Todd Marcus), Katherine Helmond (Lizzie), Martin Jarvis (Finn McMissile), Emily Mortimer (Holley Shiftwell), and many more.

## References to other media

* *Cars* - Flo mentions her life as a Motorama Girl, a deleted plot element for this film called *Motorama Girls*. Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks also use their Dinoco paint schemes from this film.
* *Cars: The Video Game* - King's voice clips were used in this game.
* *Cars: Mater-National Championship* - Ornament Valley Airport re-appears in this game, its previous appearance only being in Mater-National.
* *Mater the Greater* - Mater uses his Mater the Greater paint job from this short, while the Stunt Cannons trick animation is similar to Mater's stunt, but with a Lightning McQueen-like design.
* *Tokyo Mater* - Mater uses his Tokyo attire from this short. The trick animation for the Construction Site is similar to the way Tokyo Mater and Lightning Dragon McQueen slide through the halfpipe.
* *Winter* - Mater uses his Winter paint-job, which could be seen in the winter-related Cars books
* *Dinoco* - Chick Hicks has a Dinoco paint-job, which is a reference to Lightning McQueen's nightmare from Cars
* *ICE* - ICE paint-job are being a reference to the books and comics which could be seen in racing-related ones.
* *Neon* - Neon WGP's racers paint-job are being a reference to the books and comics, which could be seen in racing-related ones. There's also a die-cast line from Tomica that relates to it, but they have really poor quality.
* *Cars 2* - Luigi and Guido have their Lightning Fan attire as alternate paint jobs, and the Wild Well trick is rather similar to one of the stunts Finn McMissile pulls in this film. Also, the track pieces in the 1.3.0 update include one taken from a Japanese television show where a car has to jump through different giant road signs.
* *Cars 2: The Video Game* - Almost every Cars 2 characters recordings are reused for this game.
* *Cars 3: Driven to Win* - Cruz and Jackson's voice clips were used in this game.

## Gallery

*For this subject's image gallery, see Cars: Fast as Lightning/Gallery.*
## Script

*Main article: Cars: Fast as Lightning/Script*
## Dinoco Stand Events

*Main article: Cars: Fast as Lightning/Events*

## Glitches

* Guido's home is sometimes at Rusty Bumper in this game, instead of his Italian Ice Shop for no apparent reason.
* Finn's track is actually Todd's track.
* Sometimes characters won't go in the building they wanted to go. It is unknown why this bug occurs.
* Snot Rod's name is spelled as "SnotRod".
* Lightning McQueen's Dinoco paint scheme is called *Champion* and is shown with his WGP spoiler.
* Sometimes character's eyes in the cut-scenes will disappear for a moment when they blink, for unknown reason
* In the cut-scenes - Long Ge's track is shown to be summer-themed, when in the reality is it winter-themed.
* In the cut-scenes of Long Ge's track (when Long Ge speaks to someone after the race) his opponents paint-jobs will change to their basic ones for unknown reason.
* Sometimes charcter's for gems cost can change to these numbers:

1. Max Schnell: from 275 to 300 gems

2. Pyotr Racinov: from 275 to 800 gems

3. Long Ge: from 275 to 1.600 gems

4. Komodo: from 275 to 6.800 gems

However, the glitch is solving itself after user relaunches the game.

## Trivia

* This was the final time Michael Keaton voices Chick Hicks, despite his voice-lines were taken from Cars 2: The Video Game. Bob Peterson assumes the role from *Cars 3* onwards.
* Several construction vehicles bear resemblances to certain characters. The pitties are identical to Muggsy Liftsome from *Cars 2*, while the bulldozers are identical to the ones seen in *El Materdor*, and the cranes are identical to the ones in *Tokyo Mater*.
* When Chick Hicks goes on Luigi's track with his Purple Rage paint job, it reveals that he starts being nice to his opponents (although he is just tricking Luigi).
* Lightning McQueen's Dinoco paint scheme is called *Champion* and is shown with his WGP spoiler.
* The game was shut down internationally. That means that it is no longer downloadable, if you dont have it in your app library.
* Sally Carrera and Ramone are mentioned sometimes but they are not in the game.
* According to the Level 39 message - Sally went to Los Angeles to visit her friends.
* According to the Level 40 message - Ramone went to the Paint-Job contest, and rumor is - he is winning.
* Long Ge's Track, for some reason, is located in Russia, despite Long Ge being from China.
* Although the game was shut down, parts of the server are still active. These parts of the server are:
	+ Adding friends, logging into Facebook and Google Play Games, and (for some countries) do daily tasks and contact Gameloft customer support.

## External links

* *Cars: Fast as Lightning* on the App Store
* *Cars: Fast as Lightning* on the Google Play Store
* http://www.gameloft.com/carsfastaslightning/