Pixar's Cars 2 premiered in theaters in 2011.
The film was released as the second feature in the Cars franchise and the twelfth feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It followed Cars, which had premiered in 2006, and expanded the setting from Radiator Springs to an international series of races.
Cars 2 was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. Its story combines the World Grand Prix with a spy adventure centered on Mater, Finn McMissile, and Holley Shiftwell. The change in genre and emphasis made the sequel notably different from the original film's character-focused road story.
The year 2011 is sometimes confused with the release years of other Pixar sequels. Toy Story 3 arrived in 2010, while Monsters University arrived in 2013. Cars 3 later returned to Lightning McQueen's racing career and was released in 2017.