What is the name of the race car protagonist in Cars?

Lightning McQueen is the race car protagonist in Pixar’s Cars. He is a red, anthropomorphic stock car and rookie competitor in the Piston Cup Racing Series.

At the start of Cars, Lightning is talented, ambitious, and self-centered. During a trip to California for a championship-deciding race, he becomes separated from his transporter and accidentally damages the road in Radiator Springs, a small town on historic U.S. Route 66. The residents require him to repair the road before he can leave.

His time in Radiator Springs changes him. Doc Hudson teaches him about racing and humility, while Tow Mater and Sally Carrera become close friends. Lightning eventually returns to the racing world with a stronger sense of teamwork and community. His racing number is 95, a reference to 1995, the year Pixar released Toy Story.

The wrong options are important Cars characters but not the protagonist. Chick Hicks is Lightning’s rival, Doc Hudson is a former champion and mentor, and Mater is Lightning’s tow-truck friend. Lightning’s full name is Montgomery “Monty” McQueen, although he is almost always called Lightning McQueen.