Cars 2 is the Pixar Cars film featuring an international spy adventure centered on Mater.
The 2011 sequel expands the series beyond Radiator Springs and racing. Mater travels with Lightning McQueen to the World Grand Prix and is mistaken for an American secret agent. He then works with Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell to uncover a plot connected to the race.
The movie was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. It uses the structure and visual language of a spy thriller, with disguises, surveillance equipment, chase scenes, and international locations. Mater’s accidental involvement supplies the comedy while the spy storyline drives the main action.
Cars 3 returns to a more racing-focused story about Lightning’s career. The original Cars concentrates on Lightning’s stay in Radiator Springs, so neither of those films is the spy-centered installment.