Cars introduced Lightning McQueen, the race car numbered 95.
Pixar's Cars premiered in 2006 and established McQueen as a talented but self-centered rookie competing for the Piston Cup. Owen Wilson voices the character. His number 95 is a recurring visual identifier throughout the Cars franchise and is displayed on his body and racing equipment.
The number is widely understood as a reference to 1995, the year Pixar released Toy Story, its first feature film. The choice connects Cars to Pixar's studio history while remaining part of McQueen's fictional racing identity. McQueen begins the film as a single-seater racer and later develops into a more mature competitor and mentor.
Cars 2 and Cars 3 continue McQueen's story, but neither introduces him. Cars 2 expands his role into international racing, while Cars 3 focuses on his competition with Jackson Storm and his relationship with Cruz Ramirez. The character's name is also a pun: “Lightning” suggests speed, while “McQueen” references actor and racing enthusiast Steve McQueen.