Cars 2 was the first Pixar Cars film to feature international races around the world.
Released in 2011, Cars 2 expands the franchise beyond Radiator Springs and the Piston Cup. The World Grand Prix takes competitors to locations including Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London. The international competition becomes the backdrop for a spy plot involving secret identities, alternative fuel, and the Lemons.
Lightning McQueen enters the World Grand Prix, while Mater is drawn into Finn McMissile’s investigation. This makes Cars 2 structurally different from the first film, which centers on McQueen’s forced stay in Radiator Springs and his relationship with the town’s residents.
Cars 3 returns much more directly to McQueen’s racing career and his challenge from Jackson Storm. Cars Toons refers to short-form animated stories, not a feature film built around a global racing championship.