Cars 2 is the Cars film set partly in Radiator Springs while centering on a global racing tour.
The sequel begins with characters from Radiator Springs and then follows Lightning McQueen and Mater to the World Grand Prix. The race travels through Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London, making the film substantially more international than the first and third feature films.
Mater becomes the story's accidental spy protagonist after Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell connect him to an investigation. Lightning's participation in the races supplies the sporting storyline, while the espionage plot drives the film's action.
Cars focuses mainly on Lightning's forced stay in Radiator Springs, and Cars 3 returns there while emphasizing training and the changing racing world. Mater and the Ghostlight is a short, not a feature-length global racing adventure.