In Pixar's Cars, Lightning McQueen accidentally damages Radiator Springs before being ordered to repair it.
After being separated from his transport truck, McQueen speeds through the small desert town while trying to rejoin the race to California. His reckless driving damages the road, and local judge Doc Hudson sentences him to repave it before leaving.
Radiator Springs is a fictional town on historic U.S. Route 66. Its residents include Mater, Sally Carrera, Ramone, Flo, and Luigi. The town's decline reflects the bypassing of roadside communities by newer highways.
The location is sometimes confused with Ornament Valley, the broader fictional region seen in Cars. Radiator Springs, however, is the specific town where the central conflict begins and where McQueen gradually changes his priorities.