Cars 2 introduced Mater’s international spy adventure. In the 2011 film, Mater is mistaken for an American agent and becomes involved with British spies Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell.
The story begins around the World Grand Prix, where Lightning McQueen competes in races in Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London. Mater’s accidental involvement reveals a plot connected to Allinol, an alternative fuel promoted by Miles Axlerod. The film deliberately shifts attention from the original’s small-town character story toward global racing and espionage.
Mater remains Lightning’s best friend, but Cars 2 gives him the leading role in the spy storyline. The original Cars centers on Lightning’s stay in Radiator Springs, and Cars 3 returns to a more personal racing narrative. Cars on the Road is a later Disney+ animated series, not a feature film, so it is not the title that introduced Mater’s international spy adventure.