In Pixar's Cars, Lightning McQueen reaches Radiator Springs while traveling on Route 66.
The historic road is central to the film's visual identity and themes. After becoming separated from Mack, McQueen follows roads through the American Southwest and ends up near Radiator Springs, a town whose prosperity declined after a faster interstate bypassed it. His accidental arrival begins the relationships that change his priorities.
U.S. Route 66 once connected Chicago and Santa Monica and became famous through road travel, roadside businesses, music, and popular culture. Although the film uses fictional geography, many of its landscapes and buildings were inspired by real Route 66 locations.
A common mix-up is Interstate 40, which replaced or paralleled major sections of historic Route 66 in the Southwest. Route 95 is Lightning McQueen's racing number, not the road associated with his journey.