Cars 2 features the international races called the World Grand Prix.
The 2011 sequel expands the story beyond Radiator Springs as Lightning McQueen competes in a three-race international series organized by Sir Miles Axlerod. The races take place in Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London. Mater becomes involved in an espionage plot after being mistaken for an undercover agent.
Cars 2 was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. It shifts much of the focus from Lightning’s personal development to Mater’s comic spy adventure, while still using racing as the franchise’s central visual language.
The World Grand Prix is fictional and should not be confused with a real motorsport championship. The film’s locations are also stylized versions of real places: Tokyo and London are real cities, while Porto Corsa is an invented Italian setting. This global structure distinguishes Cars 2 from the small-town emphasis of the first film.