What is the name of Mater’s best friend in Pixar’s Cars?

Lightning McQueen is Mater’s best friend in Pixar’s Cars.

Mater is a rusty tow truck from Radiator Springs who quickly befriends Lightning after the race car is required to repair the town’s road. Their friendship is one of the original film’s main emotional threads: Mater is loyal and enthusiastic, while Lightning gradually learns to value relationships over fame.

Mater calls McQueen “best friend” and later becomes his traveling companion in Cars 2. In that film, Mater is drawn into an international spy adventure, while Cars 3 returns the focus to McQueen’s changing racing career and his bond with the Radiator Springs community.

Sally Carrera is Lightning’s romantic partner, not Mater’s best friend. Doc Hudson is Lightning’s mentor, and Chick Hicks is a rival racer. Larry the Cable Guy provides Mater’s voice throughout the feature-film series.