In Pixar’s Cars, Lightning McQueen accidentally leaves Interstate 40 while traveling to the Piston Cup finale.
McQueen is being transported in Mack’s trailer when a nighttime mishap separates him from the hauler. Looking for the highway, he turns onto a side road and ends up on Route 66, eventually reaching the neglected town of Radiator Springs. The film uses this detour to contrast modern interstate travel with the older roadside communities that once depended on Route 66.
Interstate 40 is a real transcontinental highway running from Barstow, California, to Wilmington, North Carolina. In Arizona it parallels historic U.S. Route 66, which inspired the fictional setting and many visual details in Cars. The movie’s map-like geography blends real southwestern landmarks with invented locations.
Some viewers remember McQueen as leaving Route 66, but the story begins with him traveling on Interstate 40. His accidental exit is the event that brings him into Radiator Springs and starts the film’s central transformation.