Japan hosts the opening World Grand Prix race in Pixar’s Cars 2.
The film begins in Tokyo, where the World Grand Prix is launched with a race through the city. Lightning McQueen enters the international competition, while Mater becomes involved in an espionage plot after being mistaken for an American secret agent.
The World Grand Prix is a fictional three-race event promoted by Miles Axlerod. Its later rounds take place in Italy and England, giving the sequel a broader international setting than the original Cars. Tokyo landmarks and neon-lit streets provide the visual backdrop for the first race.
Cars 2 differs from the first film by placing Mater at the center of an action-spy story rather than focusing mainly on a small-town racing community. The movie was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis and released in 2011.