Cars 2 introduced the World Grand Prix as its central competition.
The World Grand Prix is organized as an international racing event in Cars 2. Lightning McQueen enters the competition, while Mater becomes involved in Finn McMissile's espionage investigation surrounding the races.
The event takes the characters beyond Radiator Springs to locations including Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London. This international structure gives Cars 2 a broader action-adventure format than the first Cars film, which focuses mainly on McQueen's stay in one American town.
Cars 2 was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis and released in 2011. Its plot combines racing with secret agents, an alternative fuel called Allinol, and a conspiracy involving the criminal mastermind Professor Z.