Pixar’s second Cars feature film, released in 2011, is titled Cars 2.
The film shifts the series from a Route 66 setting to an international adventure. Lightning McQueen enters the World Grand Prix, a global racing event organized to promote Allinol, while Mater becomes involved in an espionage plot involving secret agents and a dangerous conspiracy.
Cars 2 was directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Brad Lewis. It was released in the United States on June 24, 2011, five years after the original Cars. The sequel expands the franchise’s world by visiting locations such as Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London.
Unlike the first film, which centers heavily on Lightning’s personal growth in Radiator Springs, Cars 2 gives Mater a much larger role. The change in genre and focus made the sequel distinct within the franchise, while returning characters connected it to the original film.