Cars 2 features a race through the streets of London.
The London section occurs during the film’s World Grand Prix and serves as the final major racing location. The story uses recognizable London landmarks and streets as the setting for both the competition and the espionage plot involving Mater.
Cars 2 takes Lightning McQueen and Mater far beyond Radiator Springs. The international itinerary also includes Tokyo, Japan, and Porto Corsa, Italy. This global structure is a major difference from the original Cars, whose story concentrates on the fictional Arizona town of Radiator Springs.
The London race is part of the film’s larger spy-thriller design. Mater becomes entangled with agents and villains while McQueen focuses on the competition. Cars 3 returns the franchise to a more personal racing story centered on McQueen’s career and his relationship with Cruz Ramirez.