Pixar had released three Cars feature films by the end of 2017.
The films are Cars, released in 2006; Cars 2, released in 2011; and Cars 3, released in 2017. Together they form the franchise’s theatrical feature-film trilogy. Each film places Lightning McQueen in a different stage of his career and expands the fictional world around him.
Cars follows Lightning’s arrival in Radiator Springs and his attempt to win the Piston Cup. Cars 2 sends him and Mater into an international adventure involving the World Grand Prix and espionage. Cars 3 returns to a more personal racing story as Lightning competes with technologically advanced newcomers.
The franchise also includes short films, television material, video games, theme-park attractions, and the Disney+ series Cars on the Road. Those additional productions do not change the number of theatrical Cars feature films released by the end of 2017. A fourth theatrical feature film had not been released by that date.