Cars (2006)
A Pixar original story by John Lasseter.
Intro (“Real Gone”). In a world populated by anthropomorphic vehicles, the Dinoco 400 race marks the climax of the Piston Cup season. The event intensifies a rivalry between the retiring seven-time champion, Strip "The King" Weathers, the cunning Chick Hicks, and the talented but overconfident rookie, Lightning McQueen (whose catchphrase is “ka-chow”). Desperate to win and gain entry into the prestigious Dinoco team, Lightning struggles with teamwork due to his self-centered attitude which is also evident in his attitude toward his sponsor Rust-eze bumper ointment. During the high-stakes race, Lightning avoids a major collision instigated by Chick, but blows his lead by refusing to take a pit stop, causing his rear tires to blow out before he can win. The race ends in a three-way tie, setting the stage for a decisive race at the Los Angeles International Speedway in one week.
After the race, Lightning rushes through the night on the interstate to reach California inside his transport truck Mack (“Life Is a Highway”). A mishap caused by Lightning not having actual headlights (due to race tracks always being lit) leaves Lightning stranded alone in the rundown desert town of Radiator Springs in Carburetor County. Here, he inadvertently damages the main road and is caught by Sheriff (a 1949 Mercury Police Cruiser), leading to an unexpected community service assignment: repaving the road using an asphalt-laying machine named Bessie under the supervision of the town's judge, Doc Hudson (a 1951 Hudson Hornet), who is prejudiced against Lightning for being a race car.
Lightning repaves the road shoddily in a rush to leave, and Doc challenges him to a race for his freedom on the dirt track Willy’s Butte, on the condition that he starts over from scratch if he loses. The overconfident Lightning, having never raced on a dirt road before, spins out on a turn and crashes. Doc, on the other hand, handles the road with no problems. Over time, Lightning warms up to and befriends the town's residents, especially Mater, a rusty tow truck, and Sally (a 2002 Porsche 911), who dreams of reviving Radiator Springs. Radiator Springs includes Flo’s V8 Cafe run by Flo (a 1950s show car), the Cozy Cone Motel owned by Sally, Luigi (a 1959 Fiat 500) who owns Luigi’s Casa Della Tires and his assistant Guido (a little Italian forklift), Sarge’s Surplus Hut run by Sarge (a 1942 Willys Army Jeep), Mater’s Tow Mater Towing & Salvage, Radiator Springs Curios Shop, Ramone’s House of Body Art run by Ramone (a 1959 Impala low-rider), and Fillmore’s Taste-In run by Fillmore (a 1960 VW Bus). As he bonds with the locals, Lightning helps rejuvenate Radiator Springs and develops a newfound appreciation for its charm. He discovers the town was once a bustling attraction for drivers on Route 66, before the construction of the interstate 40 years ago caused them to lose all their business traffic (“Our Town”). Lightning also discovers that the bitter Doc, reticent about his past, used to race as the legendary Hudson Hornet and won 3 Piston Cups until a disastrous crash ended his career despite Doc making a recovery and still being able to race. Lightning is dumbfounded that Doc considers his previous Piston Cups worthless junk.
Lightning finishes repairing the road and decides to spend an extra day in Radiator Springs helping the local businesses before his race (“Sh-Boom”), but Doc alerts the media of Lightning's location, leading them and Mack to descend on the town and force Lightning to leave in time for the race. Doc immediately regrets his actions after seeing the residents disappointed by his unexpected departure. At the race, Lightning initially struggles but is buoyed by the sudden arrival of his friends from Radiator Springs, who come to his aid in the pit. With Doc now acting as his crew chief, Lightning stages a remarkable comeback. However, Chick employs a PIT maneuver that intentionally damages the King, rendering him unable to continue. Fearing that the King's career may end as Doc's did, Lightning halts just before the finish line and goes back to push King across, allowing Chick to win the Piston Cup but ensuring the King's safe finish.
The crowd and media condemn Chick's Piston Cup victory and praise Lightning's integrity. Although offered a sponsorship by Dinoco, Lightning chooses loyalty to his current "small-time" sponsor, Rust-eze. Returning to Radiator Springs, he reunites with Sally and declares his intention to establish his racing headquarters there, revitalizing the town (“Route 66”).
During the end credits, the Racing Museum is opened up in Radiator Springs which celebrates the history of the Hudson Hornet.
TRIVIA
Visual Style
Radiator Springs is a high desert setting somewhere between Gallup, New Mexico, and Kingman, Arizona based on research trips that the Pixar team took along Route 66.
Stock car legend Richard Petty was brought in to provide authenticity to the racing. The team also visited the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the design studios of the Big Three Detroit automakers, particularly J Mays of Ford Motor Company, to see how cars are designed and assembled.
Technology
To create realistic reflections given that the cars are made of metal, the team used ray tracing to create accurate reflections, shadows, occlusion, and irradiance.
The film uses a ground-locking system that kept the cars firmly planted on the road.
Deleted Scene(s)
A deleted scene shows Lightning have a dream where his engine (i.e. his soul) is placed into a steam roller and Mater’s engine is placed in his racecar body.