List of Cars characters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of characters from the 2006 Pixar film, Cars.

Contents

Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment team

Lightning McQueen

Lightning McQueen, typically referred to by his surname McQueen, and occasionally called "Stickers" by Sally, is the main character and is voiced by actor Owen Wilson. He is named after Glenn McQueen, a Pixar Animator who died of melanoma in October 2002. His overall profile was inspired by the Ford GT40 (and in some ways a Ford Mustang), but he looks similar to a Mazda RX-8 (including the headlights). In the beginning of the film, Lightning McQueen, a racing rookie, is a hoodstrong, hotheaded, arrogant and talkative car who is very stuck-up, especially towards his pit crew. He hopes to be the first rookie to win the Piston Cup race and gain a lucrative endorsement deal from Dinoco in the final race of the season, but finishes in a three-way tie with perennial runner-up Chick Hicks and veteran Strip "The King" Weathers after losing his huge lead on the final lap (#400) because of two blown tires. He gets lost in Radiator Springs on his way to California and meets new friends who teach him there is more to life than winning car races and gaining deals. It is there he meets Mater and falls in love with the town attorney, Sally Carrera. He changes his look at the end of the movie, while his bad attitude changes during his time in Radiator Springs. He learns these valuable lessons: true friendship, how greed affects others, keeping promises, teamwork, and that life is about the journey, not the destination. These values lead him to rejuvenate Radiator Springs back to its heyday. Therefore, he decides to call the little town his home. Coincidentally, the late actor Steve McQueen, known by car enthusiasts by his role in Bullitt, was a race car driver.

Mack

Mack is a 1980s-era Mack Super-Liner truck (possibly a 1985 model), bearing license plate "RUSTEZ3", voiced by John Ratzenberger. A dedicated member of the Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment Team, Mack pulls Lightning McQueen's trailer to his races. After McQueen's entire pit team quits, Mack remains as the rookie racer's only friend. McQueen exhorts Mack to drive through the night to his tiebreaker race with Chick Hicks and Strip Weathers in Los Angeles, California, hoping to reach the venue first and to hang out with the Dinoco team. During the long drive, Mack falls asleep and falls victim to the Delinquent Road Hazards, a group of reckless street racers. The Delinquent Road Hazards knock Mack all over the road, causing one of McQueen's bobble heads to fall off its perch and hit a button, opening his trailer door and dump a sleeping McQueen onto the road. When Mack wakes up, he is unaware that McQueen has gotten lost and has ended up in Radiator Springs. Eventually, Mack travels to Radiator Springs and, under threat of being fired by McQueen's agent, Harv, transports McQueen to Los Angeles. There he serves as McQueen's pit crew until a group of McQueen's friends from Radiator Springs show up to help. After the race, Mack moves to Radiator Springs with McQueen and is shown at Flo's Cafe in the short film Mater and the Ghostlight, as well as in the video game based on the film.

John Ratzenberger was given the part in honor of his father, who drove a Mack truck.[1]

Lightning McQueen's pit crew

Lightning McQueen's pit crew are generic forklifts who quit after McQueen didn't go to the pits for tires, which nearly cost him the season's final race. One of them, presumably the acting crew chief, since the official crew chief had recently been fired, is referred to by McQueen as "Chuck", who retorts angrily afterwards, "And my name is not Chuck!" In the credits, he is referred to as "Not Chuck" and is voiced by Mike "No Name" Nelson.

Harv

Harv is Lightning McQueen's agent. He is never seen and only heard twice in the movie, when McQueen and Mack are en route to the tiebreaker race and when he and his team are at Radiator Springs, when he went crazy, shouting at McQueen. Harv is voiced by actor Jeremy Piven and is based on his character Ari Gold from the HBO series Entourage. In the UK edition of the movie Harv is voiced by the well-known motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson. This equivalent of Harv is implied by Clarkson to be a 1979 Ford Granada.

Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze

The Rust-eze Brothers, Rusty and Dusty, are the spokescars for Rust-Eze, the team that sponsors Lightning. Rusty is a 1964 Dodge A100, and Dusty, a 1963 Dodge Dart. Rusty and Dusty are voiced by Tom Magliozzi and Ray Magliozzi (respectively) of National Public Radio's Car Talk. The '63 Dart bears an intentional resemblance to Ray Magliozzi's infamous green Dart, named "The Dartre". In a deleted scene shown on the DVD, these two would have had no association with Lightning McQueen other than a chance encounter at a truck stop, where Mack was allowed to stop briefly. According to their respective die-cast, Rusty's license plate states "Rust" and Dusty's sports "Eze". The license plates also show that they're from "R Fair City", a reference to how the brothers refer to their hometown of Cambridge, Massachusetts on Car Talk.

Dinoco team

Strip "The King" Weathers

Strip "The King" Weathers is a Dinoco Blue veteran racecar voiced by NASCAR veteran Richard Petty. He is based on Petty's 1970 Plymouth Superbird. He is one of the racecars in the 2005 Piston Cup three-way tie, along with Chick Hicks and Lightning McQueen. He is Dinoco's "Golden Boy", having won two Piston Cups, and is hoping for another win in the tie-breaker race. He tells Lightning McQueen that he would be nowhere without his team, but the rookie does not pay any attention, being more preoccupied with the thought of taking over the Dinoco sponsorship after The King's retirement.

Mrs. Weathers / Mrs. The King

"Mrs. The King", as Mater calls her, is The King's wife. She is voiced by Richard Petty's real-life wife, Lynda Petty. A 1974 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon, she is modeled after the car in which the Petty family used to go to Richard's races during the 1970s. During the races, she sits in a special VIP booth with Dinoco's sponsor, cheering for her husband.

Tex Dinoco

Tex Dinoco, voiced by Humpy Wheeler, is a gold 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and owner of Dinoco. In his packaging as a diecast car, his name is listed as "Tex Dinoco". It is unknown whether Dinoco is Tex's last name, or whether the name was simply added to give the consumer a better idea of who Tex was. Tex was mainly inspired by the gold Cadillacs with Long Horns that are used at the Big Texan Steak Restaurant in Amarillo, Texas to bring guests for dinner.

The King's pit crew

The King's pit crew consists of unnamed generic forklifts with the Dinoco logo on the sides and an orange cap except one whose name is Luke.

Rotor Turbosky

Rotor Turbosky, the Dinoco helicopter, is a transport model decorated with the Dinoco logo, as well as pictures of the King. Mater is shown riding in the helicopter towards the end of the film. His name probably refers to Igor Sikorsky, famous aeronautical engineer and helicopter pioneer.

Gray

Gray is a generic 2005 Mack Truck.

Dinoco trailers

The trailers sponsored by Dinoco are in the employ of the King; one is his transport, the other one is a stage/tent. Both trailers are decorated with the Dinoco logo and the King's racing number, 43.

Dinoco showcars

Dinoco's showcars are models/showgirls for Dinoco who stand on the stage. They are Mazda MX-5s with blue feathers attached by a Dinoco logo sequin.

Hostile Takeover Bank team

Chick Hicks

Chick Hicks (voiced by Michael Keaton) is an obnoxious green GM G platform (RWD), most likely a Buick Regal, that was popular in the 1980s. He has spent his entire career coming in behind Strip "The King" Weathers, and is bitter about this fact. His number is 86 (86 stands for eighty-sixed, a reference of firing someone, it also means 1986, which is his model year and also the year Pixar was established). Determined to do whatever it takes to win, he will often ram other cars in order to cause a wreck. He hates Lightning McQueen with a vengeance, however, he does tend to copy him. He uses the nickname Thunder which McQueen created saying Thunder always comes after Lightning. Chick and McQueen share the same dream of being the new face of Dinoco. He expects a huge ovation after McQueen deliberately lets him win the Piston Cup, but is booed off the stage instead. In many ways, he represents what Lightning McQueen could have become.

Chick Hicks's pit crew

Chick Hicks's pit crew consists of a group of forklifts (all wearing false moustaches similar to Chick's) who mainly give gas and change tires for Chick, with a Dodge Ram pickup as the Crew Chief named "Chief Chick", providing important tactical information on the other racers (i.e., telling Chick that Lightning had blown a tire in the first race). They make fun of Guido ("Hey, Tiny, you gonna clean his windshield?") before he demonstrates his lightning-fast tire changing, causing the forklifts to drop their false moustaches in disbelief (the largest of them only doing so when Guido says, "Peet stop", one of his few English lines in the film), in a manner similar to the well-known "jaw drop" in many Tex Avery cartoons. Their names are unknown, except one, whose name is Bruiser Bukowski. His trailer is briefly seen, and his driver is not seen at all.

Radiator Springs Populace

Mater

Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) was inspired by a 1951 International Harvester[2][3] tow truck but bears more of a resemblance to a mid-'50s Chevrolet or GMC. Mater runs "Tow Mater Towing and Service." Along with the movie, he also stars in an animated short, Mater and the Ghostlight, and acts as an announcer in the Cars video game. He speaks with a thick Southern accent with a bit of hillbilly twang, and often misspells words or uses incorrect syntax. Mater is also the (self-proclaimed) world champion backwards driver. He attributes his skill to his rear-view mirrors and his own philosophy: "Don't need to know where I'm going, just need to know where I've been." In the movie, Mater befriends and supports Lightning throughout his adventure in Radiator Springs. His name is a pun on "tomato" as pronounced in his accent (when introducing himself to Lightning, he says, "My name's Mater, as in tuh-mater but without the 'tuh'").

His color was originally baby blue, as shown in a flashback; however, over the years, he has rusted into a patchwork light brown/orange color, with some of the blue still showing through. He is missing his hood and his left headlight. In the credits he managed to fish his hood (which has more of its original color on it than the rest of Mater does) from a cliff up in Tailfin Pass, but then sneezed, causing it to fall back down the cliff. His license plate number is A113. His final personality was based on his voice actor, Larry the Cable Guy, and he uses many of Larry's catchphrases, including "Git-R-Done" during the final race sequence and "I don't care who you are; that's funny right there" during the tractor tipping scene, among others.

Real life replicas of Mater and Lightning are shown at Disney's California Adventure at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA and Disney's Hollywood Studios of Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, FL. In addition unofficial replicas have been created by fans of the movie.[4]

The original vehicle on which Mater's appearance was based[5] currently sits at the "Four Women on the Route" diner and souvenir store in Galena, KS.[6]

Doc Hudson

Doc Hudson (also known as "Dr. Hudson" or simply "Doc") is voiced by Paul Newman. His license plate reads 51HHMD (a reference to his year model and profession). Doc was once known as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet (#51), one of the most famous racecars to have ever lived; he won three Piston Cups, and still holds the record for most wins in a single season (27, a reference to real-life Hornets winning 27 NASCAR races in 1952). All that changed for the famous Hornet when a terrible crash on the track at the qualifying race in 1954 saw him put out for the season. Upon his return, he was received with a complete absence of fanfare and told that he was a has-been who had been passed up for the next rookie in line. He kept a newspaper article on the career-ending crash as a reminder never to return to the life that nearly destroyed him.

Jaded by the racing scene, he left that world, apparently taking out time to study medicine. The famous #51 disappeared into obscurity, leaving many wondering where he had gone. He instead opted for a simple navy blue paint job and the life of a physician in the tiny town of Radiator Springs, the "shining Gemstone" of the Mother Road - Route 66. He runs Doc's Clinic as a "doctor of internal combustion". As times changed and the town got bypassed in favor of Interstate 40, Doc stayed on, even when the population had dwindled to a meager dozen or so residents. He is respected, well-loved, and serves not only as the town's physician, but as its judge as well. However, nobody in the town had any idea of his past as a racer; he was just an ordinary Hudson Hornet to them.

Upon meeting the young hotshot Lightning McQueen, Doc saw far too much of his past in the rookie. After McQueen finished fixing the road he damaged, Doc called the news and press, who rushed over in droves and took McQueen on to the Piston Cup. Seeing how disheartened everyone was, Doc took back his old #51 colors to become McQueen's pit crew chief, bringing nearly the entire town to the Piston Cup to support Lightning as his pit crew. By the end of the film, Doc opts to keep his racing colors, and becomes a trainer as well as crew chief to the young McQueen. Just like McQueen, Doc learned some lessons: friendship, promises, how greed affects others, and that secrets can't be kept forever (which was what he learned while sitting under the traffic light).

The car is based on the real-life Fabulous Hudson Hornet in NASCAR competition driven by Herb Thomas and Marshall Teague.

Sally Carrera

Sally Carrera (voiced by Bonnie Hunt) is a baby blue 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera. Her license plate number is 301PCE. She also appears in the Cars video game, in which she is a playable character. Sally, Lightning McQueen's love interest and later girlfriend, is the snazzy town attorney of Radiator Springs. She came to the town several years before, when, in her own words, "I never felt... happy. One day I just drove and drove, and finally broke down right here. Doc fixed me up, Flo took me in... well, they all did. And I never left." Sally then fell in love with the town, and the land around it, and settled down in the town. Sally runs the Cozy Cone Motel. Later, she and Lightning reopened the Wheel Well Hotel. She calls McQueen "Stickers," first as a way to tease him (because of his fake headlights), and later as a nickname. In the UK cars magazine Top Gear, Sally was included in the magazine's list of the 10 sexiest cars in the World.[7] The use of a "Porsche" may be a pun on the character Portia from "The Merchant of Venice," who also acts as a lawyer in a trial scene.[citation needed]

Luigi

Luigi (voiced by Tony Shalhoub) is a 1959 Fiat 500 ragtop, is a Scuderia Ferrari fan, and has followed racing his entire life. His license plate reads 445-108, which is the latitude and longitude for the main Ferrari factory in Modena, Italy. [8] Luigi owns a tire shop, Casa Della Tires, which is known for its "Leaning Tower of Tires," a tower of several tires shaped like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. His assistant is an Italian forklift truck named Guido. Inside his shop are many framed pictures of World Sportscar Championship endurance racing Ferraris from various points in history. At first, Luigi and Guido do not respect Lightning McQueen when he comes to Radiator Springs, because he is not a Ferrari and says he has never heard of him ("Luigi follow only the Ferraris"), but later on they learn to show courtesy to McQueen, suiting him up in whitewalls.

For the Italian version of the film, Luigi was voiced by comedian Marco Della Noce; one of Della Noce's most popular characters was "Oriano Ferrari", a parody character meant to represent the leader of Ferrari's pit stop crew.[citation needed].

Guido

Guido (voiced by Guido Quaroni) is a forklift, who works at Luigi's Casa Della Tires, and is Luigi's best friend. The only language Guido can speak and understand fluently is Italian, though he appears to understand English, and even speaks a few phrases, including "Pit stop" but pronounced "Peet Stop!". His dream is to perform a pit stop for a real racecar. Near the end of the movie, as Lightning's pit crew, he performed the fastest pit stop in Piston Cup history, changing all four tires in four seconds.

In order to preserve the "language barrier" gags between Guido and the other characters in the Italian dub, his lines (and the other cars' lines in Italian) have been rendered with the Emiliano-Romagnolo accent spoken in the town of Modena, Italy, home of the Ferrari car manufacturer and racing team. Alex Zanardi, an Italian race driver who is a native of Bologna, the largest city in the Emilia-Romagna region, voiced Guido for the Italian version. Coincidentally, or as a pun by the authors, the name "Guido" is a perfect homonym for the Italian inflected verb meaning "I drive".

Ramone

Ramone (voiced by Cheech Marin) is a 1959 Chevy Impala lowrider who owns the Ramone's Paint and Body Art store, where he paints himself and other cars, including Lightning McQueen later in the film. His license plate reads "L0WNSL0", which is a reference to his catchphrase, "low and slow". He is married to Flo, whose restaurant is next door to his store. Ramone is usually depicted purple with a yellow and orange flame job, but throughout the film he changes his paint job every morning to keep his skills sharp. This situation changes after Radiator Springs becomes vibrant again.

In a deleted scene that told the story of how Ramone and Flo fell in love, the only customer Ramone has refused to paint was his future wife Flo. When she asked him, "Whassamatta, you too good to paint me?" he promptly and smoothly replies, "No way, you too good for me to paint", and saying that he couldn't paint a classic like Flo, which made her heart melt. The story took place in Radiator Springs of 1974.

Ramone is the third Disney character to be voiced by Cheech Marin, the other two being Tito the chihuahua from Oliver & Company and Banzai the hyena from The Lion King.

Flo

Flo (voiced by Jenifer Lewis) is the owner of Radiator Springs only gas diner, "Flo's V-8 Cafe" and is married to Ramone, the town's body artist. Her license plate reads "SHOGRL", the same as the license plates applied to many Motorama show cars, and an obvious pun on the term "showgirl". According to a deleted scene, she is a Motorama showcar and came to Radiator Springs during a national tour. She appears to be inspired by three early- to mid-fifties show cars: the 1951 Buick LeSabre (front-end lines, the basic hood shape, lights mounted near the corners, and front-quarter trim), the 1951 Buick XP-300 (side trim), and the 1956/57 Chrysler Dart (cockpit, deck lid, and tailfins).[9]

Sheriff

Sheriff (voiced by Michael Wallis) is a 1949 Mercury, bearing Carburetor County license plate 001. Sheriff is painted in the classic law enforcement black and white, with a single red light dome, two sirens, and curb feelers. Sheriff was the first resident of Radiator Springs to appear in the film and also the first to meet Lightning McQueen during a police chase when McQueen was speeding through the town, trying to find Mack. He later befriends Lightning McQueen, even offering him a police escort to California, and joins his pit crew for the championship race.

Fillmore

Fillmore (voiced by George Carlin) is a Volkswagen Bus. Fillmore's license plate reads "51237", which is a reference to May 12, 1937, the birthdate of George Carlin. It is also the ZIP Code of George, Iowa as well. He is a stereotypical hippie, with his license plate positioned to resemble a soul patch. He owns an organic fuel shop (Filmore's Organic Fuel) which features several flavors, and believes gasoline companies are lying to the public (which is quite reminiscent of health advocate Kevin Trudeau's beliefs). In the morning, when next-door neighbor Sarge plays Reveille and raises the Flag of the United States, Fillmore interrupts Sarge's bugle reveille with Jimi Hendrix's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner" as follows:

Sarge: Will you turn that disrespectful junk off?!
Fillmore: Respect the classics, man, it's Hendrix!

Despite this, he is friends with Sarge, and the two can be seen chatting throughout the film.

Sarge

Sarge (voiced by Paul Dooley) is a Willys Jeep. A veteran with a military green paint job and a slightly stylized Sergeant Major (E-9) insignia on his sides, he appears to be a WWII era Willys MB. His licence plate reads "41WW2", which indicates the date the Willys MB entered the service of the U.S. Army (1941 World War 2). He runs a surplus store, named "Sarge's Surplus Hut", next door to Fillmore. Near the end of the film, it is revealed he later opens an Army Camp to train SUVs and 4x4s in rugged and dirt terrain, including Murphy and Frank "Pinky" Pinkerton.

Lizzie

Lizzie (voiced by Katherine Helmond), a 1923 Ford Model T is the widow of Radiator Springs' founder, Stanley, and the elderly owner of a roadside souvenir and accessory shop (Radiator Springs Curios). Her license plate, "MT23", is a reference to her model and year. Her name is derived from Tin Lizzie, one of the Model T's popular nicknames. She appears to have gone somewhat senile, and has a crush on Lightning McQueen.

Red

Red (voiced by the late Joe Ranft) sometimes called Big Red, is a mid-1960s Pirsch Fire apparatus, bearing Carburetor County license plate 002. He is shy and emotional, often bursting into tears and hiding. He spends most of his time gardening and washing things, such as the statue of Stanley next to his fire station. Joe Ranft died in a car accident in 2005, shortly before the movie was released.

Stanley

This is Lizzie's late husband and was the founder of Radiator Springs. Stanley is probably a Stanley Steamer, a steam-driven automobile. A statue of Stanley stands outside the town hall. Although dead, he continues to exert an influence on the town, particularly over Lizzie, who often talks to him.

Frank

Frank is a mystery-model orange combine harvester that resembles a bull, and the guardian of the tractors. After Lightning McQueen's first encounter with Frank, Lightning has a nightmare that he, The King, and Chick Hicks are beaten by Frank in the tie-breaker race, with Chick not even surviving the race (Frank catches him, shreds him, and expels his remains from his unloading auger).

Tractors

Tractors are American 1950s "Chew-all" tractors, a pun on the real-life Farmall brand of farm machinery. They resemble cows and appear when Mater and Lightning go tractor tipping (similar to cow tipping, except they are disturbed by noise, not touch). When the tractors tip, they blow out a smoke ring from their funnel (The tipping is also an in-joke to that model, which was known for upending due to the center of gravity being near the rear of the machine). Mater honks his horn to tip the tractors, while Lightning McQueen revs his engine. The loud engine revving causes every tractor to tip, which draws Frank's attention causing him to chase the two.

The tractors also appear later in a stampede through the middle of town, likely provoked by Mater's antics; after entering the town, they are all herded by the "Radiator Springs populace". They also appear in a nightmare McQueen has about Frank winning the Piston Cup, wherein Lightning is surrounded by the tractors, one of which licks him.

They can also be seen in the background during the epilogue, when the cars are watching films at the theater.

Big Al

Big Al, though not seen or heard, is the only Radiator Springs former resident who is directly named. Mentioned by both Lizzie and Ramone when Lightning McQueen is taken to traffic court. Big Al was a resident of the town who was said to be strong enough to fix the road, but had left town 15 years prior to the beginning of the film (c. 1991). Whilst not seen in the flashback sequences of Radiator Springs, the references to his strength suggest that he might have been a heavy-duty haulage vehicle.

Announcers

Darrell Cartrip

Darrell Cartrip is an announcer at the Piston Cup races. He is a 1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and a former Piston Cup Racer. His name is a play on Darrell Waltrip, who provides the character's voice. Cartrip utters, "Boogity boogity boogity!" as the tiebreaker race starts; the real-life Waltrip is also known to use the phrase at the start of every NASCAR race. Cartrip appears in the Cars video game as the sole announcer; he is also a playable character in the Piston Cup VS. and Arcade mode. On his side it says, "Boogity boogity boogity" and on the back of him it says, "DWstore.com". These do not appear in the video game. The car is based on a real-life 1977 Monte Carlo Waltrip drove with DiGard Racing, although it does not have the actual paint scheme (which is owned by Pepsico, the successor to the team's sponsor at the time). The most famous of those cars was the infamous "Bertha," which is at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, AL.

Bob Cutlass

Bob Cutlass is an announcer at the Piston Cup races and friend of Darrell Cartrip. He is voiced by Bob Costas, the renowned NBC sportscaster and journalist and his name, like Darrell Cartrip's, is a play on that of his voice actor. Although the character's name is a reference to the Oldsmobile Cutlass, Cutlass is actually shown to be an Oldsmobile Aurora. Bob Cutlass does not appear in the video game.

Other Vehicles

Mia and Tia

Mia, (voiced by Lindsey Collins), and Tia, (voiced by Elissa Knight), are identical twin 1990-1997 Mazda Miata sisters who are Lightning McQueen's self-proclaimed biggest fans. They are, however, quite fickle; after McQueen's disappearance, the twins suddenly become ardent fans of Chick Hicks. By the end of the movie, they are McQueen's fans once more, turning against Hicks after he deliberately caused Strip "The King" Weathers to crash in the tie-breaker race. Mia and Tia eventually moved to Radiator Springs and work as waitresses at Flo's V8 Cafe. In a deleted scene on the Cars DVD, the twins were waitresses at a truck stop at which McQueen stopped.

When they first meet Lightning, Mia and Tia flash their headlights at him, similar to groupies pulling up their shirts to flash celebrities.

Van and Minny

Van (voiced by Richard Kind) and Minny (voiced by Edie McClurg with a Minnesota accent) are husband and wife. They are lost and pass through Radiator Springs while trying to find their way back to Interstate 40. Van refuses to ask directions, claiming not to need them due to having a GPS, and both of them are equipped with car alarms, which they arm after their encounter with Lightning McQueen when he begs them to call for help. After the end of the credits, we find out that Van and Minny have ended up somewhere lost in the desert, having never asked for directions, and Van has almost been driven to insanity. Their names combined is a pun on "minivan". Van appears to be a 2004 Ford Windstar and Minny is a 2000 Dodge Caravan (when she exclaimed, "for the love of Chrysler" at their ending credit scene).

Delinquent Road Hazards

The Delinquent Road Hazards are a group of three import cars and an American muscle car, based on a 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 2000 Nissan Silvia, 2004 Scion xB (Boost, Wingo, and DJ, respectively), and a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda muscle car (Snot Rod) that cause trouble on the roads. The four of them cause Mack to run off the road, dumping the sleeping McQueen out of his trailer. During the credits, they are apprehended by Sheriff and forced to patch up the road. They return in the Cars video game to cause trouble once again. The members include the leader; Boost (voiced by Jonas Rivera), DJ (voiced by E.J. Holowicki), who uses loud speakers; Wingo (voiced by Adrian Ochoa), an import with a six-winged spoiler for making tight turns, and Snot Rod (voiced by Lou Romano), who shoots flames out of his side exhaust pipes when he sneezes.

Volkswagen "bugs"

The "VW Bugs" are several housefly-sized cars seen during the Wheelwell Inn sequence and at the end of the movie. They are modeled on the original Volkswagen Beetle sedans produced from 1949 through 2004. They are not voiced, but the buzzing sound they make is based upon the unique sound of the air-cooled VWs on which they are modeled "Vroomaroundus Bugus". On careful examination the VW-logo can be seen as ribs on their wings.

Pixar cameos

Various characters from other Pixar films make cameo appearances during the final credits, as car versions of themselves on-screen at a drive-in movie theater at Radiator Springs.

Original Cars version Vehicle likeness Voice actor
Toy Story Toy Car Story
Sheriff Woody Woody Woodie Tom Hanks
Buzz Lightyear Buzz Light Car Space Rover Tim Allen
Hamm Hamm Centercut Pig Car John Ratzenberger
Monsters, Inc. Monster Trucks, Inc.
Mike Wazowski Mike Isetta Billy Crystal
James P. Sullivan Sulley Monster Truck John Goodman
Yeti the Abominable Snowman Yeti the Abominable Snowplow Snowcat John Ratzenberger
A Bug's Life A Bug's Life
Flik Flik Volkswagen Beetle Dave Foley
P.T. Flea P.T. Flea PT Cruiser John Ratzenberger
The Circus Bugs P.T. Flea's Circus Troupe

John Ratzenberger voiced a supporting role (Hamm, Yeti, P.T. Flea) in each of these films; his Cars character Mack praised "their" actors at first, but then at the end poked fun at Pixar and himself: "Wait a minute, here, they're just using the same actor over and over. What kind of a cut-rate production is this?"

An anthropomorphic version of the Pizza Planet Pickup Truck, named Todd, from the Toy Story movies can be seen in the crowd just prior to the final race.

The Birds that appear in the film from For the Birds can be seen at the 23:00 minute mark as Mack drives past them. They are not car versions, but the Birds used in the short.

Barney Stormin

Barney Stormin is a red airplane. He flies in the sky while writing "Piston Cup" in the sky with his smoke. His name refers to the sport of "barnstorming" where daring pilots perform stunts with airplanes.

Kori Turbowitz

Kori Turbowitz (voiced by Sarah Clark) is a 1997 Ford Puma; a news reporter who shows up in the movie three times.

Lightyear Blimp (Al Oft)

The Lightyear Blimp (a parody of the Goodyear blimp), is a blimp whose name is Al Oft. His only line is "Oh yeah, Whoo!" He flies above the racetrack and tapes overhead footage of the race with his video camera. The title is also a reference to Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. His name, Al Oft, is a reference to "aloft" meaning in flight

Jay Limo

Jay Limo, like his voice actor Jay Leno, is a talk show host.He resembles a 2004 Maybach 57,He remarks "I don't know what's harder to find; Lightning McQueen or a crew chief who'll work with him!"

Albert Hinkey

Albert Hinkey[10] (voiced by Douglas "Mater" Keever) is an RV that proclaims that he is Lightning's biggest fan. He is seen in the background of races. He has another friend that is a fan of Lightning also that is voiced by Larry Benton.

Tow

Tow is a blue and yellow tow truck that is seen towing Mood Springs. Only the back of him is seen.

Race Official Tom

Race Official Tom is a race official that is seen briefly during the end of the movie, and near the beginning of the movie as well. He is seen viewing the "photo finish" of the Dinoco 400, to see who won the race.

Fred

Fred (voiced by Andrew Stanton) is a starstruck, but very rusty old car. Everybody knows his name, because his license plate says "FRED." When McQueen says his name, he shouts, "He knows my name! He knows my name" and, in his excitement, his front bumper falls off. Later, when he is unable to gain access to the tie-breaker race and Mario Andretti (who would be waved through the gate on sight as a celebrity) likewise reads his license plate, Fred says, "Mario Andretti knows my name! You gotta let me in now!"

Leroy Traffik

Leroy Traffik is the minivan that Lightning McQueen spots near the beginning of the movie. He has a mattress poorly tied to his car top, a small minispare on his right rear, and often has his right turn signal on for miles.

TJ Hummer

TJ Hummer is a Hummer H2 that Sarge teaches in his boot camp during the end of the movie. He refuses to go off road, but Sarge forces him to do so.

Elvis

Elvis (voiced by Sheryl Crow) is a camper van that acts like Elvis Presley. His only line is, "Uh!" and he is seen in the first part of the movie. He has the Elvis trademark coif and his bodywork is painted like a sparkling suit.

Sven "The Governator"

Sven "The Governator" (based on Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a Hummer. His only line is "Lightning McQueen must be found at all costs!" The name and vehicle refers to Schwarzenegger's job as California governor and the fact that he was one of the first Hummer H1 owners.

Chuki

Chuki is a pink 2007 Toyota Yaris that is seen during the "McQueen's Missing" scene. She is heard speaking Japanese.

Ferrari F430

Ferrari F430 is based on and voiced by Michael Schumacher (as also hinted by Luigi by exclaiming, "A real Michael Schumacher Ferrari"). He is seen at the end of the movie in Luigi's shop together with the 2 Maseratis. He is listed in the ending credits as Michael Schumacher Ferrari.

Maseratis

The Maseratis in the film are a pair of Maserati Quattroporte cars named Antonio Veloce Eccellente and Costanzo Della Corsa. They are seen during the end of the movie in Luigi's shop with the Ferrari F430.

Marco Super FAV18

Marco Super FAV18 is a jet (possibly an F/A-18 Hornet) that is seen briefly after Barney Stormin writes "Piston Cup" in the sky with smoke.

Chuck Manifold

Chuck Manifold is a Buick Century that reports about McQueen being missing.

Jerry Recycled Batteries

Jerry (voiced by Joe Ranft) is a Peterbilt that Lightning McQueen mistook for Mack. He has the words "Recycled Batteries" on his side.

Trev Diesel

Trev Diesel[10] is a train that almost crashes into McQueen when he is zooming to the Interstate. He has the numbers A113 on his side.

Other Racecars

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8, is a Piston Cup racecar. He is voiced by Dale Earnhardt Jr., and closely resembles Dale's #8 NASCAR car, with the exception that the Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch) stickers are replaced by Dale Earnhardt Inc. stickers to avoid advertising beer in a children's movie. He is a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo stock car.

Piston Cup Pace Car (Charlie Checker)

The Piston Cup Pace Car is a pace car that is briefly seen in a few scenes, now known as Charlie Checker as the die-casts continue to be produced. His car features the Piston Cup logo and a bumper sticker that says, "Official Pace Car".

Octane Gain #58 (Billy Oilchanger)

Billy Oilchanger is a racecar that looks exactly like Winford Bradford Rutherford, only an orange version. He has the Octane Gain logo on his hood. The names of his pit crew is unknown, except for one named Dudley Spare.

RPM #64 (Winford Bradford Rutherford)

Winford Bradford Rutherford is a racecar that looks exactly like Billy Oilchanger, only yellow. Chick Hicks bashes him to the side of the racetrack while exclaiming, "Dinoco is all mine." The names of his pit crew are unknown, except for one named Petrol Pulaski.

Nitroade #28 (Aiken Axler)

Aiken Axler is a racecar that is identical to Todd "The Shockster" Marcus, only Aiken Axler is black.

Leakless #52 (Claude Scruggs)

Claude Scruggs is a racecar that is identical to Crusty Rotor, only Claude Scruggs is yellow and black. The names of his pit crew are unknown, except for one named Stacy.

Mario Andretti #11

Mario Andretti voices his eponymous character, who is a former racecar that believes every day is a great day for racing. This car is based on the 1967 Ford Fairlane from Holman-Moody that the real Andretti drove to victory in the 1967 Daytona 500.

No Stall #123 (Todd "The Shockster" Marcus)

Todd "The Shockster" Marcus is a racecar that has checkers and is red. He looks similar to Aiken Axler. Chief No Stall is Todd's crew chief.

Vinyl Toupee #76 (Crusty Rotor)

Crusty Rotor is a racecar that is purple, orange, and black. He looks similar to Claude Scruggs.

Mood Springs #33 (Chuck Armstrong)

Chuck Armstrong is a racecar that is identical to Aiken Axler and Todd "The Shockster" Marcus, only he is blue. He got badly damaged in "The Big One" started by Chick and is towed by the Race Crew Tow Truck saying "Don't take me out, coach. I can still race!"

Shifty Drug #35 (Kevin Racingtire)

Kevin Racingtire is a racecar that is red and looks identical to the racecars Aiken Axler, Todd "The Shockster" Marcus, and Chuck Armstrong.

Shiny Wax #82 (Darren Leadfoot)

Darren Leadfoot is a racer who resembles Todd Marcus. His pit crew is seen briefly changing his tires.

Gaskits #80 (Sage Vanderspin)

Sage Vanderspin is a blue, yellow, and red racecar sponsored by Gask-its Cookies.

Gasprin #70 (Floyd Mulvihill)

Floyd Mulvihill is a blue and yellow racecar who advertises "Gasprin" (a pun on aspirin).

Tow Cap #4 (Rusty Cornfuel)

Rusty Cornfuel is a Purple & Yellow racecar.

Lil' Torquey Pistons #117 (Ralph Carlow)

Ralph Carlow is a blue and red race car sponsored by Lil' Torquey Pistons, Inc.

Revolting #84 (Davey Apex)

Davey Apex is a white and red racer who is similar in design to Mac iCar and Chuck Armstrong.

Tack-O-Mint #101 (Greg Candyman)

Greg Candyman is a brown and white piston cup racecar.

Sidewall Shine #74 (Slider Petrolski)

Slider Petrolski is a yellow, white, black and red piston cup racecar. Not very fast!

Sputter Stop #92 (Murray Clutchburn)

Murray Clutchburn is a blueish-green car involved in the wreck started by Chick Hicks.

Fiber Fuel #56 (Brush Curber)

Brush Curber is an orange racecar resembling Billy Oilchanger with the wheat on him.

Mac iCar #84

Mac iCar is a white racecar who bears resemblances to both Davey Apex (who shares his number) and Darren Leadfoot. Also, this is an obvious allusion to the Apple Mac computers and their various "i" products.

Trunk Fresh #34 (Dirkson D'agostino)

Dirkson D'agostino is a black and green racer who is briefly seen getting his tires changed.

N2O Nitro Cola #68 (Manny Flywheel)

Manny Flywheel is a purple racer who spins out during The Big One.

Retread #79 (Haul Inngas)

Haul Inngas is a blue racer who spins out during The Big One.

Rev-N-Go #73 (Misti Motorkrass)

Misti Motorkrass is a blue racer who is briefly seen during the race and in the pits.

Tank Coat #36 (Eugene Carbureski)

Eugene Carbureski is a pink and gray racer briefly seen in fourth place. His sponsor is the Cars equivalent of Pepto-Bismol. The names of his pit crew are unknown, except for one named Jerry Drivechain.

Transberry Juice #63 (Lee Revkins)

Lee Revkins is a purple racer who was briefly leading and the first one bumped by Chick.

Vitoline #61 (James Cleanair)

James Cleanair is a green and white racer who is briefly seen getting his tires changed. He resembles Crusty Rotor and Claude Scruggs.

References

  1. ^ Memories Of Dad Drive Ratzenberger's Mack In 'Cars'. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  2. ^ GALENApage
  3. ^ Route 66 News, November 12, 2006; accessed January 2, 2008
  4. ^ Picable - Photo Page: The Real "Tow Mater"
  5. ^ Wallis, Michael; Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis. "The Art of Cars", Chronicle Books, pp. 4. 
  6. ^ "Galena celebrates Route 66's 80th Birthday", Wordpress. Retrieved on 2008-01-18. 
  7. ^ What's the Sexiest Car in the World? in Yahoo News UK
  8. ^ Google Maps
  9. ^ Concept Cars - Timeline 1938 - 1981
  10. ^ a b Cars Drive-In Gallery
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