Japan hosts the first race shown in Pixar’s Cars 2.
The film opens with a spy-thriller sequence before moving to Tokyo, where the World Grand Prix begins. Lightning McQueen enters the international event, while Mater becomes entangled in a secret-agent story involving the race and an alleged alternative fuel conspiracy. Tokyo’s neon-filled setting gives Cars 2 a markedly different visual style from the small-town setting of the original Cars.
The World Grand Prix later continues in Italy and England. These locations help the film combine racing spectacle with an international espionage plot. Tokyo is therefore the first competition location, not merely a brief travel stop.
Cars 2 is also notable for shifting much of its focus toward Mater. The first film is primarily McQueen’s personal journey, whereas the sequel makes Mater’s accidental involvement in espionage the main narrative engine. Japan remains the answer because it hosts the opening World Grand Prix race.