Pixar’s Cars introduced the character Mater before Cars 2 expanded his spy adventure.
Mater is a rusty tow truck from Radiator Springs and becomes Lightning McQueen’s best friend in the first Cars film. Larry the Cable Guy provides Mater’s English voice, using a distinctive Southern-style comic performance that became central to the character.
In Cars, Mater is primarily a local tow-truck driver whose enthusiasm, loyalty, and stories help McQueen understand the value of friendship and community. Cars 2 places him at the center of an international espionage plot after British agents mistake his accidental observations for deliberate undercover work.
Mater appears in Cars 3 as well, but his role returns mainly to the Radiator Springs community rather than the globe-spanning spy structure of Cars 2. He also stars in the Disney+ series Cars on the Road, which premiered in 2022.