Cars 2 was the first Pixar feature sequel not centered on the Toy Story characters.
Released in 2011, Cars 2 followed Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 as Pixar's third feature-length sequel. It was also Pixar's first sequel built around a property other than Toy Story, expanding the Cars world into an international racing and espionage story.
The film follows Lightning McQueen as he enters the World Grand Prix, while Mater becomes entangled in a secret-agent plot involving an oil-based alternative fuel. This shifts the emphasis from the original film's small-town road story to global travel, action, and spy comedy.
Cars 2 was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. Pixar later released additional non-Toy Story sequels, including Monsters University, Finding Dory, Incredibles 2, and Cars 3. “First” here refers to Pixar feature sequels, not every continuation of a short-film character.