Cars 2 was the first Pixar Cars film to feature Mater as a central spy-adventure character.
In Cars 2, Mater travels with Lightning McQueen to the World Grand Prix and is mistaken for an American secret agent. British spy Finn McMissile and analyst Holley Shiftwell recruit him into an international investigation involving a mysterious criminal conspiracy.
The sequel shifts the franchise away from the small-town racing and personal growth of the first film. It uses locations around the world, including Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London, while combining racing with espionage conventions inspired by spy movies.
Lightning remains an important character, but Mater drives much of the plot and supplies the film’s comic misunderstandings. Cars 3 later returned to a more direct focus on Lightning’s racing career and the changing Piston Cup competition.