Pixar’s Cars 2 was theatrically released in 2011.
The sequel opened in the United States on June 24, 2011. It shifted the franchise from the original film’s small-town road story toward an international racing and espionage adventure. Lightning McQueen enters the World Grand Prix, while Mater becomes entangled in a secret-agent plot.
Cars 2 was directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Brad Lewis. It was the first Pixar feature to be presented in Disney Digital 3-D and was also released in IMAX 3D in selected locations.
The sequel brought back Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen and Larry the Cable Guy as Mater. It also introduced characters such as Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell. Because Cars 3 followed six years later, the middle film is sometimes confused with the franchise’s later racing-focused story.