Cars 2 was released in 2011 and follows an international spy adventure.
The film sends Lightning McQueen and Mater overseas for the World Grand Prix, a three-race competition created to promote a new alternative fuel. Mater is mistaken for an American secret agent and becomes involved with spies Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell.
Cars 2 expands the franchise beyond Radiator Springs. Its locations include Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London, and the plot combines racing with espionage. This makes it structurally different from Cars, which centers on McQueen’s personal change in one small American town.
The film was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. It was the second feature in the Cars series and Pixar’s twelfth feature film overall. Although it focuses more heavily on Mater and international action, it still includes returning characters and continues the franchise’s talking-vehicle world.