What is the name of the rookie race car at the center of Pixar’s Cars?

Lightning McQueen is the rookie race car at the center of Pixar’s Cars.

He begins the 2006 film as a talented but self-centered competitor chasing the Piston Cup. After becoming separated from his transport truck, McQueen accidentally damages Radiator Springs and is ordered to repair the town’s road. His time there changes his priorities and introduces him to Doc Hudson, Sally Carrera, Mater, and the rest of the community.

The character was voiced by Owen Wilson in the Cars films. His design combines features associated with stock cars and modern racing vehicles, while his red paint and lightning-bolt graphics make him instantly recognizable. His racing number is 95, a reference to 1995, the year Pixar released Toy Story.

Lightning McQueen remains the franchise’s main protagonist in Cars 2 and Cars 3. In the third film, he faces a new generation of high-tech racers and begins learning how to pass his experience on to another driver.