Japan is the first country visited by the World Grand Prix in Pixar’s Cars 2.
The film begins the three-race championship in Tokyo, where the competitors gather for the opening event. The Tokyo race introduces Lightning McQueen’s international rivals, including Francesco Bernoulli, and places the racing story alongside Mater’s accidental involvement in an espionage adventure.
The World Grand Prix then moves to Porto Corsa, Italy, before concluding in London, England. These locations give Cars 2 a broader international setting than the original Cars, which focuses mainly on the American Southwest and Route 66. Tokyo’s neon cityscape and nighttime racing visuals are among the film’s clearest departures from the first movie’s small-town atmosphere.