In Pixar’s Cars 2, the World Grand Prix brings Lightning McQueen to Japan, Italy, and England.
The World Grand Prix is organized by Miles Axlerod as a series of races intended to promote Allinol, a new alternative fuel. The competition begins in Tokyo, continues in Porto Corsa, Italy, and concludes in London. Lightning enters after being challenged by Francesco Bernoulli, a celebrated Italian open-wheel racer.
The event gives Cars 2 a broader international setting than the first film. While Lightning competes, Mater becomes involved in an espionage plot after British agents mistake his accidental behavior for deliberate undercover expertise. The racing story and spy story eventually converge in London.
The World Grand Prix is fictional, but its structure draws on real international motorsport events. Cars 2 uses recognizable locations and racing traditions while adapting them to a world populated entirely by vehicles. The title should not be confused with the Piston Cup, the domestic stock-car competition central to the first and third films.