In Pixar’s Cars, which racer does Owen Wilson voice?

In Pixar’s Cars, Owen Wilson voices Lightning McQueen.

Lightning McQueen is the film’s central character: a talented but arrogant rookie race car competing for the Piston Cup. His number is 95, a reference to 1995, the year Pixar released Toy Story, its first feature film. McQueen begins the story focused almost entirely on winning and sponsorship.

After becoming stranded near Radiator Springs, McQueen gradually forms friendships with Mater, Sally Carrera, Doc Hudson, and the town’s other residents. Those relationships change his priorities before the final race. Owen Wilson’s performance helped establish McQueen’s energetic, humorous, and ultimately more considerate personality.

The character is sometimes confused with real racing drivers because his design borrows visual cues from stock cars and other racing machines. However, Lightning McQueen is an original fictional character, not a direct portrayal of one driver.