Cars introduced Lightning McQueen, voiced by Owen Wilson.
Lightning is a talented but self-centered rookie competing for the Piston Cup. After tying with Chick Hicks and The King in the final race, he travels toward California for a tiebreaker. His attempt to get there quickly leads to his accidental arrival in Radiator Springs, where the town’s residents teach him the importance of friendship and responsibility.
Owen Wilson supplied Lightning’s speaking voice in Cars, Cars 2, Cars 3, and the Cars Toons short films. The character’s racing number is 95, a number associated with Pixar’s founding year, 1995. Lightning’s design combines elements of stock cars, sports cars, and stylized animated character design.
Cars 2 expands Lightning’s story into an international racing adventure, while Cars 3 returns the focus to his changing career and rivalry with a younger generation. The original film remains the story in which the character and his central relationships are first established.