Pixar's Cars 2 begins its World Grand Prix storyline in Tokyo.
The film opens with a covert operation involving Finn McMissile before moving into the public racing events. The first World Grand Prix race is held in Tokyo, Japan, where Lightning McQueen competes against international racers and Mater becomes entangled in the spy investigation.
The Tokyo sequence introduces the film's expanded international setting. It includes neon cityscapes, elevated roads, Japanese-inspired architecture, and a race circuit built through the urban environment. The World Grand Prix later continues in Porto Corsa, Italy, and ends in London, England.
Tokyo is therefore the opening venue, not the entire competition's name. The competition itself is the World Grand Prix, while Tokyo is its first race location. Porto Corsa and London are also important Cars 2 settings, which can make the locations easy to mix up when recalling the order of events.