Pixar's Cars premiered in the United States in 2006.
The film was released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 9, 2006. It was Pixar Animation Studios' seventh feature film and followed The Incredibles, which had arrived in 2004. Cars was directed by John Lasseter, with Joe Ranft and Dan Fogelman credited among its writers.
Cars introduced audiences to Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally Carrera, Doc Hudson, and the residents of Radiator Springs. Its story combines a racing adventure with a friendship narrative set along a fictionalized version of Route 66. The film's setting and car characters helped distinguish it from Pixar's earlier worlds of toys, insects, monsters, and superheroes.
A common mix-up is confusing Cars with its sequel, Cars 2, which premiered in 2011, or Cars 3, which arrived in 2017. The 2006 release is the original feature and the starting point for the Cars film series.