What year did Pixar’s Cars Toons shorts debut?

Pixar’s Cars Toons shorts debuted in 2008.

The series began as a collection of short adventures centered largely on Mater, who tells stories about his supposed past exploits. The first short was “Mater the Greater,” broadcast in 2008 as part of the Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales series.

These shorts use a deliberately exaggerated storytelling style. Mater claims unusual achievements involving racing, firefighting, stunt work, and other adventures, while Lightning McQueen often reacts as though the stories might be true.

Cars Toons expanded the Cars world beyond the feature films and was distributed through television and later home-video and streaming releases. The shorts are separate from the feature-length movies, even though they use the same characters and setting.