In Pixar's Cars, Lightning McQueen is ordered to repair the road in Radiator Springs.
After accidentally damaging the town's main road, Lightning is sentenced by Doc Hudson to repave it before he can leave. The forced work keeps him in Radiator Springs and introduces him to residents including Mater, Sally Carrera, Luigi, Guido, and Flo.
Radiator Springs is a fictional community on U.S. Route 66 in Carburetor County. Its decline follows the construction of Interstate 40, which diverts traffic away from the old highway. The town's setting draws on real Route 66 communities and roadside landmarks in the American Southwest.
Radiator Springs is sometimes mistaken for the name of the county or the highway. Carburetor County is the county, while Ornament Valley is the surrounding region shown in the film. The town later becomes Lightning's home and the setting for much of the Cars franchise.