What is the international racing competition at the center of Pixar's Cars 2?

The World Grand Prix is the international racing competition at the center of Pixar's Cars 2.

Oil magnate Miles Axlerod creates the event to promote Allinol, an alternative fuel. Lightning McQueen enters the race, while Mater becomes entangled in an international spy operation after being mistaken for an undercover agent. The competition drives the film's global structure.

The World Grand Prix visits Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London. Each location gives the animators a different visual setting, from Tokyo's illuminated streets to the Italian Riviera and London's landmarks. The races also connect the sports plot to the espionage story.

The World Grand Prix is different from the Piston Cup, the stock-car championship featured in the first Cars film. The Piston Cup remains Lightning's familiar domestic racing series, while the World Grand Prix is explicitly international.