In Pixar's Cars, Lightning McQueen accidentally damages Radiator Springs before helping to repave its main road.
After fleeing a traffic-jam-causing incident, Lightning becomes separated from his transport truck, Mack. He reaches Radiator Springs, a fictional town on historic U.S. Route 66, and damages the road while trying to escape Sheriff and Doc Hudson.
The town's residents make Lightning repair the damaged pavement before he can leave. This requirement changes his relationship with the community and leads him to appreciate the people and places he previously ignored.
Radiator Springs is sometimes confused with real Route 66 towns, but it is fictional. Pixar based its look and atmosphere on research trips along the historic highway, including real roadside businesses and landscapes.