Cars 2 was the first Pixar Cars feature to use the Italian Riviera-inspired setting of Porto Corsa.
Porto Corsa is one of the three race locations in the World Grand Prix. The seaside city hosts the competition’s second event, between the opening race in Tokyo and the finale in London. Its harbor, steep streets, and coastal scenery give the film a distinctly European setting.
The location is fictional, but its visual identity draws on the Italian Riviera and Mediterranean coastal towns. Cars 2 expands the series beyond the American Southwest of the first film, sending Lightning McQueen and Mater across several countries. That international structure supports both the racing story and the spy plot.
Cars 2 premiered in 2011 and was the second feature film in Pixar’s Cars franchise. Cars 3 later returned much more strongly to the racing world and the United States, while Porto Corsa remained most closely associated with the World Grand Prix in Cars 2.