Cars 2 is the only Cars movie centered on an international spy adventure.
Released in 2011, Cars 2 follows Lightning McQueen as he enters the World Grand Prix while Mater becomes entangled in a secret-agent investigation. Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell investigate a plot involving alternative fuel, surveillance, and a group of criminals operating across several countries.
The film expands the Cars setting beyond Radiator Springs and American stock-car racing. Major locations include Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom, giving the sequel a globe-spanning structure inspired by spy and action films.
Cars focuses on McQueen's personal growth in a small American town, while Cars 3 returns to his racing career and rivalry with Jackson Storm. Cars 2 is therefore distinct in both tone and plot: it combines racing with espionage and gives Mater a much larger role.