History Main / Cars

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'', the Creator/{{Pixar}} film, and [[Franchise/{{Cars}} the franchise it launched]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'', the Creator/{{Pixar}} film
* Music/TheCars, a NewWaveMusic band

Cars can refer to:

* Music/TheCars, a NewWaveMusic band

* Music/TheCars, a NewWave band

* WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}, the Creator/{{Pixar}} film

[[redirect:WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}]]

[[redirect:Film/{{Cars}}]]

A series of computer-animated films from {{Pixar}} and directed by John Lasseter, who also directed the first two ''ToyStory'' movies and ''ABugsLife''. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin True to the title]], the stories take place in a world entirely populated by anthropomorphic cars -- aside from plants, there are no organic life-forms of any sort. Just about everything else is reinterpreted into automotive counterparts, such as insects becoming [[StealthPun Volkswagen Beetles]] and rock formations in the shape of car bodies.

Not to be confused with the song by Gary Numan, or [[Music/TheCars Ric Ocasek's band]].

!!''Cars'' (2006)
[[quoteright:237:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Cars_Poster_2_2575.png]]
->"I... am ''speed''."

The first film centers around Lightning [=McQueen=], an arrogant up-and-coming hotshot stock car racer whose only [[StealthPun driving]] concern is winning. The film opens with [=McQueen=] vying for the Piston Cup, a coveted prize which assures the winner of a lucrative sponsorship. Despite a valiant effort, [=McQueen=] ends up in a three-way tie with retiring racing veteran [[InkSuitActor Strip "The King" Weathers]] and perennial runner-up Chick Hicks. A tie-breaking race is scheduled a week later in California, and [=McQueen=] urges his driver Mack to get them there immediately.

Along the way, [=McQueen=] gets lost, ending up in Radiator Springs, a quiet rural town in a forgotten segment of Route 66. After accidentally tearing up the town's main road, [=McQueen=] is sentenced to repairing it as community service. As he toils to finish his service and get to California, [=McQueen=] makes friends with the locals, including Tow Mater and former big-city hotshot Sally Carrera, and learns that there's a lot more to life than just racing to the finish line.

!!''Cars 2'' (2011)
[[quoteright:236:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Cars_2_Poster_2_9592.png]]
->''When You're In Over Your Headlights,\\
Who Do You Trust?''

''Cars 2'' is the ActionizedSequel to ''Cars'', released in June 2011. Oil Baron-turned-electric-vehicle Sir Miles Axlerod has discovered Allinol, a new clean alternative fuel source. To promote it, he creates and sponsors the first ever World Grand Prix, where the best racers compete to see who's the fastest car in the world. One of the finalists is Piston Cup winner Lightning [=McQueen=], who brings along his friends from Radiator Springs as his pit crew, along with first-time team member Tow Mater.

Unfortunately, when an intelligence exchange goes awry, Mater gets mistaken for a master American spy. When he accidentally screws up Lightning [=McQueen=]'s competition against Formula 1 racecar Francesco Bernoulli, Mater ends up getting recruited by British espionage agents Finn [=McMissile=] and Holly Shiftwell to help them stop the [[StealthPun machinations]] of international weapons developer Professor Zundapp. Now, while [=McQueen=] struggles against his guilt, Mater must balance his duty to save the world and his efforts to save [=McQueen=], who is quickly being targeted...

It currently holds around a 39% on the [[RottenTomatoes tomato-meter]]. [[BrokenStreak This is the FIRST Pixar movie to receive a rotten score]]; however, fans are divided on whether the criticism is warranted, or just critics' dissatisfaction that the film features [[BaseBreaker Mater]] as the main protagonist. A closer inspection on the Rotten reviews shows most of them are mixed. Superficially, the film was a box office success, but it also posted the lowest domestic gross in over a decade since ''ABugsLife''. ''Cars 2'' is the first Pixar film not to be nominated for a single AcademyAward.

!!''Cars'' Shorts
{{Pixar}} has also produced a number of ''Cars''-related shorts, such as "Mater and the Ghostlight" (included with the ''Cars'' DVD release) and the "Mater's Tall Tale" series. More information about these can be found on the PixarShorts page.

[=DisneyToon=] Studios is also working on a Direct-To-Video SpinOff of the franchise, called "Planes". The film is set to be under the creative leadership of John Lasseter. [[{{Planes}} Visit the page for more information]].

[[Characters/{{Cars}} The Character Sheet can be found here]].
----
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Series Wide]]
!!The ''Cars'' films and shorts contain examples of the following tropes

** Don't forget Mater's "I don't care who you are, that's funny right there", and "Git-r-done!", both of which are LarryTheCableGuy's {{Catchphrase}}s.
* AnimateInanimateObject: Every. Single. Character.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_beJRyq4a0 This State Farm commercial]] features toy cars, airplanes, and trains as the world's equivalent of pets.
* AuthorAppeal: John Lasseter admits he made this movie cause he likes cool cars.
** Several of the senior animators and designers at Pixar are also car enthusiasts, and the company regularly holds in-company car shows where staffers bring in their vintage and exotic automobiles.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Lightning [=McQueen=] for starters. The other racecars are no slouches in the naming department either.
* TheBigRace
* BilingualBonus: Guido (voiced by Guido Quaroni) ''only'' speaks in (correct) Italian.
** The second movie takes this UpToEleven as the action goes to Japan, France and Italy.
* BreakoutCharacter: If it hasn't been obvious in the past several years since the first movie, Mr. Tow Mater.
** WordOfGod is that the genesis for ''Cars 2'' came while John Lasseter was doing international promotional tours for ''Cars'', then musing, "How would Mater respond to this?"
* ButtMonkey: Lightning in some of the Mater's Tall Tales shorts.
** TheAce: in others
* ConjoinedEyes
* CoolCar: The entire cast.
** Moreso in the sequel -- Finn [=McMissile=] (played by [[BatmanBegins Michael]] [[HarryBrown Caine]]) is essentially JamesBond in [[WeaponizedCar car form]].
* TheDitz: Mater.
** GeniusDitz: He has a VERY extensive knowledge on car engines and their parts; particularly cars who were pretty bad. [[spoiler:Also don't get us started on his Batman Gambit and analytical skills.]]
* EnormousEngine: Snot Rod.
* FakeNationality: Lebanese-American Tony Shalhoub as Luigi. This may be an ActorAllusion to his role as an Italian cabdriver on ''Series/{{Wings}}''.
* FeatherFingers: They're cars, and yet they manage to write, paint, and hold microphones.
* LicensedGame: Four in total; ''Cars: The Video Game'', ''Cars Mater-National'', ''Cars Race-O-Rama'' and ''Cars 2: The Video Game''.
** Pretty much averting TheProblemWithLicensedGames since they have all gotten at least decent reviews and from all reports are actually pretty fun and represent a lot of the racing "feel" of the movies. Then again, how hard can it be to make a game based on movies about race cars?
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* MatryoshkaObject: The closing credits of ''Cars 2'' showed Fillmore, Sarge, Luigi, and Guido as nesting dolls.
* MeaningfulName: A lot of the names are from IsaacAsimov's short story "Sally", which is about sentient (robotic) cars.
** [=McQueen=]'s name gets some confusion though as people believe he's based on a famous race car legend. He's actually named after Glenn [=McQueen=], a Pixar worker who died during ''FindingNemo'''s production.
* MerchandiseDriven: Four years and five new Pixar movies later, you still can see an ad for a new ''Cars'' toy once in a while, and they still take up a good portion of shelf space in stores. A study conducted in 2010 found that 50% of American boys aged 5-13 had at least one Cars shirt in their wardrobe. This is probably the reason that justifies Disney's ExecutiveMeddling in getting Pixar to make a sequel.
** And seeing as this is a movie about [[StealthPun cars]]... [[HilariousInHindsight heheheh]].
* MilestoneCelebration: Both films have specialized logos for {{Pixar}}, due to being released on their 20th and 25th anniversaries, respectively.
* MultipleDemographicAppeal
* NewAgeRetroHippie: Filmore.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Many characters are in-universe automobile versions of real celebrities, voiced by the same people they were based from. See the individual movie entries below for details.
* OddCouple: Lighting and Mater (worldly/naive), Sarge and Fillmore (army/hippie), Ramone and Flo ("gangster"/showgirl)
* OrWasItADream: How almost all of ''Mater's Tall Tales'' end. Even though [=McQueen=] is in all of them despite a)him not remembering any of it, and b)the events taking places years before the two met.
* PimpedOutCar: It was bound to happen, when you have a "Body Paint" store at Radiator Springs.
* PunnyName: Done with many of the characters names, like Jay Limo, Darryl Cartrip, Jeff Gorvette, David Hobbscap, and Brent Mustangburger.
** Befitting its globetrotter plot, the sequel expands the puns to places and things, such as Petrodilly Circus and Big Bentley in London, the Republic of Rearendia, and the Running of the Bulldozers in Pamplona.
* RunningGag: This film seems awfully fond of butt jokes. To wit:
** Lizzie slaps a sticker on the bumper of a couple passing through that reads "[[IncrediblyLamePun Nice Butte!]]"
** Mater places his towing hook in a rather uncomfortable spot when he tows Lightning away.
** Lightning catches the Sheriff in a compromising position at the doctor's office/garage.
** "Rust-Eze medicated bumper ointment, new rear-end formula!"
** Ramone flashes his undercarriage Von Dutch-style pinstriping at the lost tourists.
** Not to mention where Sally keeps her EmbarrassingTattoo.
** Rip Clutchgoneski, one of the racecars from the sequel, hails from the [[{{Ruritania}} Republic of New Rearendia]].
* SceneryPorn: It ''is'' a Pixar work.
** The "Life Is a Highway" segment from the first film is especially noteworthy.
*** The sequel shows us BEAUTIFUL scenes of Italy, France, Japan and England!
* ShownTheirWork: Watch the DVD extras to see the amount of work that went into even minor details that virtually nobody will notice.
** This is especially noticed in the second film. [[spoiler:Especially when many of the Mooks turn out to be Lemons and Mater's spiel about car parts.]]
* TechnologyPorn: With all the cars in this movie, is this a surprise?
** With both cars and spies, this is taken UpToEleven in the sequel, especially whenever Finn [=McMissile=] appears.
* UnreliableNarrator: Mater is one, as evident in his "Tall Tales" shorts. This becomes a plot point for ''Cars 2''.
* WorldOfFunnyAnimals: A rare non-animal example.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cars]]
!!''Cars'' features the following tropes

* ActingUnnatural: Lightning [=McQueen=] wants to surprise Sally with his new look.
-->'''Mater:''' Here she comes!\\
'''[=McQueen=]:''' Okay, places, everybody! Hurry! Act natural.\\
''[[=McQueen=] hides and everybody else gets in a perfectly straight line as Sally approaches]''\\
'''Mater, Ramone, Flo, Luigi, Sarge, Fillmore:''' Hi, Sally!\\
'''Sally:''' All right, what's going on?
* ActorAllusion: During the CreditsMontage, Mack (voiced by John Ratzenburger) is watching ''Cars''-universe versions of Pixar movies, and initially praises the voice actor for [[ToyStory Hamm Truck]] and [[MonstersInc the Abominable Snowplow]] [[ButHeSoundsHandsome (John Ratzenberger)]] ... but by the time ''ABugsLife'' rolls around, he realizes they're just reusing the same voice actor.
** In the US version, Jeremy Piven is the voice of [=McQueen=]'s agent Harv. Piven is known for his role as Hollywood superagent Ari Gold on the HBO series {{Entourage}}. Meanwhile, the UK version uses JeremyClarkson, known for his part in the {{BBC}} series ''TopGear''.
* AffectionateNickname: Sally calls Lightning "Stickers"
* AnalogyBackfire: "Oh, like ''you''? You've been here for how long, and your friends don't even know who you are? Who's caring about only himself?!"
** MeaningfulEcho
-->'''Sally:''' You called them?\\
'''Doc:''' It's best for everyone, Sally.\\
'''Sally:''' Best for everyone... or best for ''you''?
* AndTheWinnerIs: Subverted - After the race in the beginning, [=McQueen=] assumes he won the Piston Cup, and proceeds to make a big entrance... only to find out it was a tie.
* [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins]]: [[spoiler:Chick wins the Piston Cup, though is booed off the stage by the crowd due to him wrecking the King intentionally in the process.]]
* {{Bizarrchitecture}}: The Cozy Cone motel, Which is based on a real motel modeled after Indian Teepees.
* BlueEyes: Doc Hudson's eyes were deliberately designed to resemble Paul Newman's blue eyes. Newman was, of course, Doc's voice actor
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:the Hudson Hornet, a.k.a. Doc]] for [=McQueen=].
* TheCameo: No prizes for guessing who [[FormulaOne Michael Schumacher Ferrari]] and [[JayLeno Jay Limo]] are voiced by...
** [[CarTalk Tom and Ray]] have a cameo as well.
** And some [[ArnoldSchwarzenegger obscure politician guy from California]].
** As does frequent NBC Sports host Bob Costas. And fellow announcer Darrell Waltrip.
** Dale Earnhardt, Jr. makes a brief appearance as well.
* CallingTheOldManOut: Sally does a very short one after she finds out that Doc called the press about where Lightning was to get him out of Radiator Springs. Turns out to be an IronicEcho when she asks if it was the benefit of everyone else in the town, or just for him, as Lightning did.
* CassandraTruth: No one believes [=McQueen=] at first about [[spoiler:Doc being a former race car star.]]
* ChekhovsGag: While chasing Lightning near the beginning, Sheriff muses that he might bust a gasket at the speed he's going. When Lightning busts into Doc's office later in the film, Sheriff is in there, most likely for the busted gasket.
* ChekhovsSkill: [=McQueen=] learns [[spoiler:drifting and backwards driving from Doc and Mater, respectively.]]
** Both of which resurface again in ''Cars 2''. Heck, the way [[spoiler:the Rediator Springs crew all use their skills to curbstomp a band of {{Mooks}} practically screams EigenPlot.]]
* ChromaticArrangement: Subverted. When the three main racecars are introduced at the start, it starts with The King (blue), then Chick (green), and finally Lightning (red).
* ClassicVillain: Chick Hicks is the Envy and Pride version of this combined with ArrogantKungFuGuy. In the beginning of ''Cars'', he's simply a slightly darker copy of [=McQueen=]'s own flaws. By the end of the movie, however, [=McQueen=]'s CharacterDevelopment makes them complete opposites, highlighting how much [=McQueen=] has matured.
* CoolOldGuy: Doc Hudson.
* CreditsMontage
* DifferentWorldDifferentMovies: The car-ified versions of earlier Pixar movies appear in the end credits.
* DirectionlessDriver: Minny and Van, the lost tourists who wander through Radiator Springs. Van, the husband, sternly refuses to ask for directions; TheStinger after the credits shows them ''still'' lost in the desert, exhausted and delirious.
** The sequel shows that they found their way out.
* DirtyOldWoman: Lizzie, who slaps bumper stickers on strangers and ogles [=McQueen=].
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: After the race in the film's beginning, two fans of Lightning come up and "flash" their "headlights" at him.
** Also the scene where Mack struggles to stay awake on the highway may seem familiar to many truckers.
* DontExplainTheJoke: Lightning's description of the Cozy Cone.
* DrillSergeantNasty: Sarge does this during the end credits montage when he runs a boot camp for pampered [=SUVs=].
-->"Kiss the pavement ''goodbye'', gentlemen! When I'm finished with you, you'll have mud in places you didn't know you '''had'''."
* DyingTown: Radiator Springs, until the ending.
* EfficientDisplacement: Lightning leaves a himself-shaped hole in the smoke when he leaps over the wreckage during the first race.
* EmbarrassingTattoo: Sally has one.
* FishOutOfWater: [=McQueen=].
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: When [=McQueen=] gets shoved up on stage, someone in the back yells "Freebird!" at him.
* FurryConfusion: Bessie.
* GentleGiant: Red, the huge fire truck who is very quiet and is seen taking care of his flowers most of the time.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar
-->'''Lightning [=McQueen=]:''' He's got ''three'' Piston Cups!\\
'''Mater:''' ''*SpitTake*'' He did '''what''' in his cup?!
** Let's not forget Sally's Tramp Stamp.
** Or Mia and Tia's "flashing headlghts".
** This little exchange:
-->'''Lightning:''' Well, you see, race cars don't ''need'' headlights, because the race track is always ''lit''.\\
'''Rust-Eze Spokesman:''' So's [[TheStoner my brother]], but he still needs headlights!
** Mater would give his "two left lugnuts" to work with Bessie.
** Mater joking that "she just wants me for my body" is even ''in the trailer''.
** One of the race fans is holding a sign that says "Honk If Your Horn Works".
** Guido's version of flipping the birdie to Hick's pit crew, he lifts up one of his fork lifts.
** "Is it true he's going to pose for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playgirl Cargirl]]?"
** "The Sixties weren't very good to you, eh son?"
** This could also count as {{stealth pun}}s, but in one deleted scene, Top Down Truck Stop, the waitresses are said to be all convertibles. They're all topless.
** "Oh, for the love of Chrysler..."
** When McQueen bursts into Doc's office, he is very disturbed to see the underside of the sheriff being examined.
-->'''Sheriff:''' Gettin' a good peek, city boy?
* GilliganCut: While they're heading for California, Lightning [=McQueen=] promises to Mack that he'll keep him awake all night long by talking to him so he can keep driving. Cut to [=McQueen=] sleeping soundly in the trailer.
* GoshdangItToHeck: Mater's "Holy shoot!"
* HangingJudge: Doc Hudson if his opening speech is anything to go by.
* HeyItsThatVoice: Lampshaded in the credits - John Ratzenberger, who's been in every single Pixar film to date, plays Mack. During the end credits, Mack goes to a drive-in featuring car versions of ''ToyStory'', ''MonstersInc'', and ''ABugsLife''. Mack [[ButHeSoundsHandsome praises the John Ratzenberger characters]] at first, until he realizes...
-->'''Mack:''' [[HypocriticalHumor Wait a minute here... they're just using the same actor over and over! What kind of a cut-rate production is this?]]
* HeroAntagonist: The King. Though he was one of Lightning's opponents, The King treats him fairly and respectfully.
* IAmTheTrope: Lightning's {{Catchphrase}} - "I am speed."
* INeverToldYouMyName: Oh, Fred.
* InMemoriam: This film was dedicated to JoeRanft, a prominent Pixar animator and voice actor (e.g. Heimlich in ABugsLife) who died in a car accident in 2005. ''Film/CorpseBride'' was also dedicated to Ranft.
* {{Jerkass}}: Lightning [=McQueen=] starts out as one, but becomes likable by the end of the movie.
** Chick Hicks embodies this trope.
** Both can also be considered {{Jerk Jock}}s, since they're talented athletes and are popular for it.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Lightning.
* KarmicDeath: Done figuratively in the first movie. [[spoiler:In the end, Chick Hicks wins the Piston Cup, but in doing so his [[ClassicVillain Pride, Wrath, and Ambition]] have revealed him to be a poor sport to the rest of the world. His career dies a metaphoric -- yet ''very'' karmic -- death as a result.]]
* LenoDevice: Jay Leno, as the voice of a car version of himself named Jay Limo, does a ''Tonight Show'' monologue about [=McQueen=].
* MeaningfulEcho: [[spoiler:"It's just an empty cup."]]
* TheMockbuster: "Little Cars", by the infamous VideoBrinquedo.
* MoodWhiplash[=/=]AccidentalNightmareFuel: [[spoiler:The King's crash]] at the end of the movie is an exact recreation of Richard Petty's horrific 1988 Daytona 500 crash. Think about how terrifying that scene had be real life.
** [[spoiler:And Richard Petty voices The King]]. Wow.
* MyNameIsNotDurwood:
-->'''Lightning:''' Adios, Chuck!\\
'''Not Chuck:''' And my name is ''not'' Chuck!\\
'''Lightning:''' Oh, whatever.
** Thanks to the gratuitous amount of merchandising generated by the film, we even get a toy of the forklift...who is named "My Name is not Chuck" on the packaging!
** The character was also listed in the cast credits as "Not Chuck".
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: Mater never gets a chance to say goodbye to Lightning - [[spoiler:until later at the race, anyway.]]
-->'''Doc Hudson:''' Well, I didn't have a choice. Mater didn't get to say goodbye.\\
'''Mater:''' GOODBYE!!! Okay, I'm good.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed
** "The King" Strip Weathers is voiced by none other than Richard Petty himself.
** Weathers' wife is voiced by Petty's wife Linda, and her character is modeled off of the Station Wagon the Petty family used to drive from race to race.
** '''Michael Schumacher''' Ferrari. Three guesses on who is the voice actor, but the last two won't count.
** NASCAR color commentator Darrell Waltrip and Bob Costas lend their voices to Piston Cup announcers Darrell Cartrip and Bob Cutlass.
-->'''Darrell:''' Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Let's go racin', boys!
** Ever heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mario Andretti?
** [[TopGear Jeremy Clarkson]] as Harv, although only in the UK version.
* NotSoDifferent: [=McQueen=] and Doc.
* OurFounder: Stanley Steamer, founder of Radiator Springs.
* OverDrive: A rare subversion of the "more speed always works" aspect of this trope appears in the beginning of ''Cars''. [=McQueen=] gains a whole lap on Chick Hicks and The King by skipping several pit stops -- only to have both of his rear tires blow out in the final lap.
* PornStache: Chick Hicks' grill.
* PrecisionSwearStrike: "I'm in hillbilly hell" arguably counts; granted, the point a comparison to the ''place'', but it's still unusually heavy language for a G-rated animated movie.
* PyrrhicVillainy: [[spoiler:Chick Hicks' wins the last race through a combination of cheating and Lightning's heartwarming last minute HonorBeforeReason decision to help crippled The King finish the race. He is rewarded by being abandoned by his sponsor and jeered off the winner's podium complete with tomato-flinging.]]
* RealitySubtext: The King's crash is based, frame by frame, on an ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi-0SIQsGY8 actual crash]]'' Richard Petty lived through.
** The character of Doc Hudson is largely based on 2-time NASCAR champion Herb Thomas, who, in fact, won his two titles in a Hudson Hornet. There are minor differences between the two, namely [[spoiler:their ultimate fates]], Doc Hudson is Thomas in car form.
** The track in the opening scene is loosely modeled off of the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN.
* RecycledInSpace: ''Cars'' is ''Doc Hollywood'' [[AC:WITH CARS!]]
* SecondPlaceIsForWinners: Even though Lightning didn't win the race, he is lauded for his heroic rescue of "The King" and Chick Hicks is booed off the stage for being a jerkass.
* SelfDeprecation: In the credits sketches we see Mack (played by John Ratzenberger) criticizing the fact that John Ratzenberger is always in Pixar movies.
-->"What kind of cut-rate production is this?!"
* ShoutOut: Like every Pixar movie, it contains references to other Pixar films (both short and feature-length).
** The name [=McQueen=] itself is a reference to Glenn [=McQueen=], a senior animator on early Pixar films who died of cancer in 2002; Lightning is named as a tribute. The {{Pixar}} staff takes pains to point out that it wasn't, as is commonly thought, a reference to Steve [=McQueen=], he of the [[{{Bullitt}} famous car chases]].
** Lightning himself uses [[ToyStory "Lightyear"]] brand tires, and the company blimp can be seen at races. Additionally, the Dinoco brand is the name of the gas station Woody and Buzz get stuck at.
** Can't forget the Drive-In scene.
** One of the Piston Cup racers, Mac iCar, is sponsored by AppleMacintosh. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was also one of the founders of {{Pixar}}. May also count as ProductPlacement.
* StockScream : During Lightning's first dream sequence, the car that gets dissolved lets out a Wilhelm Scream.
* SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion[=/=]CurseCutShort: The Rust-Eze rhyme.
-->''Winter is a grand old time''\\
''Of this, there are no ifs or buts'',\\
''But remember, all that salt and grime''\\
''Can rust your bolts and freeze your--''
* ToiletHumour: From the first movie:
-->'''Sally:''' Flo! What do you have at your store?\\
'''Flo:''' I have gas! Lots of gas!\\
''[Mater and Ramone snicker]''
** And the tractor-tipping sequences.
* TripodTerror: Lightning's action dream sequence.
* UnnecessaryRoughness: Done repeatedly in ''Cars'' by Chick Hicks, who won't hesitate to slam other racers and cause a thirty-car pileup just to stop [=McQueen=]. He never gets penalized in any way for his tactics, even after [[spoiler:causing a near-fatal crash for the retiring champion and winning the coveted Piston Cup championship.]] Well, except for screwing himself out of the Dinoco sponsorship and seriously pissing off the fans.
* UnsportsmanlikeGloating: Chick again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cars 2]]
!!''Cars 2'' features the following tropes:

* ActorExistenceFailure: Played straight with Doc Hudson, as Paul Newman died in 2008. Doc is mentioned in the beginning of the film, and it is suggested that [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim he passed away between the two films]].
** Averted with Fillmore (George Carlin also died in 2008), who is voiced by Lloyd Sherr instead.
** And Averted with Red (Joe Ranft), who does not speak at all (save for the odd sound effect).
* AesopAmnesia: Averted in a ContinuityNod Mater mentions that the reason Lightning hasn't entered the race is because he has learned to slow down and enjoy life.
* AnimeLand: Japan is depicted in this manner, though it's more or less an extended version of the way it was shown in the ''Tokyo Mater'' short.
* AscendedFridgeHorror: By calling attention to the darker implications of [[spoiler:Mater's]] prior ButtMonkey status, the movie makes him into TheWoobie.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Mater can recognize any engine and give you all the details about it just by taking one look at it, regardless of how old or obscure it is.
** Given that it's his job to tow cars around, it might not be a stretch to say that he [[FridgeBrilliance hasn't picked up a few tricks down the road]].
* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Mater's plan to get Miles Axlerod to disarm the bomb.]]
** [[spoiler:Axlerod's plan to kill Lightning by planting a bomb in Mater himself also counts.]]
* BeyondTheImpossible: Pixar made cars do martial arts and fight scenes.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:The regulars of Radiator Springs save Mater and [=McQueen=] from the Lemons in London.]]
* BlandNameProduct: Even though most of the cars are referred to by their real model names (even the lemons), Hugo is an exception. Whoever owns the Yugo trademark doesn't have a sense of humor.
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler:Happens to Mater after he discovers that everyone else sees him as a clueless [[TheDitz ditz]], good only for distracting others.]]
-->"No one realizes they're being fooled when they're too busy laughing at the fool."
* BritishRoyalGuards
* BrokenStreak: Congratulations movie, you've put an end to more than fifteen years of near-universal praise and adoration for Pixar's films. [[BrokenBase Whether or not the criticism is justified is another matter]].
* ButtMonkey: Otis, the friendly ol' rustbucket of Carburetor County.
-->'''Mater:''' Well, since this is your tenth tow this month, it's free!
* TheCameo: Kabuto, the main villain of [[PixarShorts ''Tokyo Mater'']], actually makes several brief appearances during all of the Japan scenes.
** Jeff Gordon features as one of the main World Grand Prix racers, Jeff Gorvette. In international localizations of the film, he is replaced by other racing celebrities:
*** The Australian release features V8 Supercar racer Mark Winterbottom as "Frosty" (his RealLife nickname).
*** The Spanish release features Formula One racer Fernando Alonso as himself and used an Spanish sports broadcaster as one of the announcers.
*** The Russian release features Formula One racer Vitaly Petrov as himself.
*** The Mexican release features Rolex Sports car racer Memo Rojas Jr. as himself.
*** The German release features Formula One racer Sebastian Vettel as "Max Schnell". Schnell is already in all versions of the film, but he gets an extra line in the German version.
*** The Swedish release features Touring Car racer Jan Nilsson as "Flash".
*** The Brazilian release features retired racer Emerson Fittipaldi as himself, and the announcers were dubbed by local sports broadcasters.
** ''DeadliestCatch'''s Sig Hansen as his own crab fishing boat, Crabby (complete with crab pots).
* CarFu: Done literally when Finn [=McMissile=] uses martial arts to attack a group of thugs -- while standing in front of a sign advertising "carate" and "car-fu" lessons.
* CassandraTruth: When Mater tries to tell his friends about his encounters with Holly Shiftwell and her world of international espionage, no one believes him because they think he's just telling another of his tall tales.
** And this come up as a BrickJoke later on--especially the part about Mater and his girlfriend.
* TheCavalry: Done literally [[spoiler:when Sarge contacts his old military buddies to bring ''the entire British Army'' to rescue Mater and Lightning.]]
* TheCharacterDiedWithHim: [[spoiler:Doc Hudson.]]
* ChaseScene: At the Tokyo airport.
* ChekhovsGun: Done by Pixar themselves -- a key aspect of ''Cars 2'' is Mater's habit of [[BlatantLies fanciful storytelling]], which causes his friends to dismiss his claims of espionage adventure as mere stories. Since this was a characteristic not shown in the first film, it was feared that its sudden appearance would look like an AssPull, so the [[PixarShorts "Mater's Tall Tales" shorts]] were created to establish this trait ''two years in advance''.
** Also done literally with Mater's gatling guns [[spoiler:which he uses to escape from being tied up in Big Bentley.]]
*** [[spoiler:Another one is the oil leak Mater supposedly had in the beginning of the movie. Makes more sense when you remember his chanting "I never leak" to himself.]]
* ChekhovsSkill: Mater's ability to recognize old and obscure engine parts at a glance. Sadly [[RedHerring averted]] with the {{Jackass}}-worthy stunts Mater puts [=McQueen=] through at the beginning.
* ColdBloodedTorture: [[spoiler:Professor Zündapp inflicts this on Rod "Torque" Redline with the EMP camera.]]
* ContinuityNod: When Mater talks to Francesco on the talk show, he explains that [=McQueen=] wants to rest after having completing the latest racing season because he's learned to slow down and enjoy life -- which was the {{Aesop}} of the first film.
** "Whoever that tow truck is, he's got to be the world's best backwards driver!"
** The ending with Finn and Holly's last scene is scripted word-for-word from the similar scene in the first film, about the supporting cast being in debt to the main character and the reply, "I appreciate that, thank you. ...Actually, there is one thing...", followed by a GilliganCut.
** The Japan scenes could actually be this to [[PixarShorts ''Tokyo Mater'']], complete with a brief cameo of Kabuto. Is also economical--Pixar created the shorts so they could reuse models and environments for the sequel!
* CoolPlane: Finn's partner Siddeley is a tricked-out spy jet (not surprising, given his name -- the Hawker-Siddeley Corporation was responsible for much of the Royal Air Force's hardware).
* CostumeCopycat: [[spoiler:One of the villains (Ivan) is a tow truck that looks a lot like Mater. Holly helps Mater with a holographic disguise to look like him.]]
** This one [[spoiler:gets turned around almost immediately afterwards, when the villainous tow truck replaces Mater's hook with his own (identical in profile) hook in a crowd scene while the other Lemons have grabbed him.]]
* CreatorCameo: To celebrate Pixar's 25th anniversary, the animators inserted John Lasseter in the movie as Jeff Gorvette's pit crew chief John Lassetire.
* DarkerAndEdgier: While it's still a colorful family-friendly film, the sequel justifiably features more peril than the original.
-->'''John Lasseter:''' There is peril. There is threat. You want the bad guys to be bad.
** We get on screen car deaths through direct violence. That's quite a genre shift. It's not often you see ''the mob'' featured in a G-rated film.
* DeathTrap: An elaborate one set for Finn, Holly, and Mater, courtesy of Zundapp [[spoiler:since he wanted to have them watch him kill [=McQueen=] first]].
* DemotedToExtra: Most of the original cast.
** Necessary since the movie taking place all over the world. They do make an appearance near the end [[spoiler:saving Lighting and Mater's tailpipes.]]
* DevelopmentGag: In Paris, Mater encounters a car whose eyes are placed where her headlights should be. This scares Mater away. This is a reference to during the development of the first ''Cars'', the characters were originally gonna have their eyes place on their headlights, only to have them relocated on their windshields after JohnLasseter found it more appealing that way.
* DidNotDoTheResearch: [[spoiler: One of Mater's big clues that Axlerod did not have an electric engine was that he leaked oil, oil leaks can happen to electric engines as well. The oil in oil leaks is lubricant not fuel.]]
* TheDon: The four heads of the lemon families: J. Curby Gremlin, Vladimir Trunkov, Victor Hugo and Tubbs Pacer.
* DoubleEntendre: Ivan the tow truck's offer of 'Road-Side Assistance' to Holly.
** The Big Bad's joke to the lemons; implying they have some incestuous families. " Maybe it was your mother! Or your sister! It's getting kinda hard to tell them apart these days."
*** Isn't that a reference to how fast the lemons break down? 'Hey, your sister's looking like hell! Just like your equally-poorly-made mother!' An age joke for cars.
** In the bathroom Mater comments on how the female animated car "gets to giggling right before she starts squirting".
** Mater asks in a female car in a dark alleyway "What're you sellin'?" to which she begins "flashing" her headlights, making it seem like Mater is unintentionally soliciting a prostitute.
* DressingAsTheEnemy: Mater does this to infiltrate the Lemons in Italy.
* {{Eagleland}}: Mater is viewed as a hybrid of Type 1 and Type 2 to others meeting him for the first time that aren't American cars.
* EarlyBirdCameo: During the [[BarBrawl Pub Rumble]] near the end of the film, some of the trucks that were beating up some of the Lemons after they crash into the Ye Left Turn Inn appear to be [[MindScrew automobile versions]] of King Fergus, Lord Dingwall, Lord Macintosh, and Lord [=MacGuffin=] from ''Film/{{Brave}}''.
* EspionageTropes: Lots.
* EtTuBrute: [=McQueen=] invokes this [[spoiler:after Mater inadvertently causes him to lose the first race in the World Grand Prix.]]
* EurekaMoment: Mater gets one of these [[spoiler:while Luigi tries to remove the bomb bolted on him. This gives him the identity of the mastermind behind the sabotage.]]
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Francesco admits that when he's abroad, he misses his mom.
* [[spoiler:EvilBrit]]: [[spoiler:Sir Miles Axlerod.]]
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: [[spoiler:Rod "Torque" Redline's engine is made to overheat and explode, though it's only shown as a vague reflection.]]
** An earlier scene has secret agent Leland Turbo [[spoiler:shown as a crushed car cube.]]
* FakingTheDead: Finn [=McMissile=] uses a set of decoy tires to pretend that he's been torpedoed by the enemy.
* FlyingCar: Holly Shiftwell.
** Mater becomes one when he deploys his parachute and rocket thrusters.
* GatlingGood: Mater is outfitted with two while acting as a spy.
-->'''Mater:''' Dag-gum!\\
'''Computer:''' Request acknowledged. ''[guns deploy]''\\
'''Mater:''' Shoot, I didn't mean--\\
'''Computer:''' Firing.\\
''*[[MoreDakka ratatatatatatatatatatatatatata]]!*''
* FurryConfusion: The first film had VW Beetles only appear as literal bugs. However, this one has "human" VW Beetles.
** Also there are both "human" and "bird" planes.
** And "human" and "snake" trains; and "human" and "hamster/gerbil/small rodent" cars. (See the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_beJRyq4a0 ''Cars 2''/State Farm commercial]] to see examples of all of this.)
** Remember it's a 'Cars' eye view' of the world. We anthropomorphize animals so they 'carify' their animals, buildings and nature. Plus humans are mammals and a lot of pets we keep are too, but we're not creeped by it, so its just a little 'animal car' to them. And I want a little gerbil-car...
* GeniusDitz: Mater reveals a surprising understanding of engines and car parts. Justified by his job towing broken cars.
* GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: When he's infiltrating the Lemons, Mater is equipped with a heads-up display that gives him detailed information about all the criminals and schemers around him.
* GoodIsNotDumb: Mater's simple nature belies the fact that he's a genius at recognizing obscure car parts at a glance. [[spoiler:Later, he also figures out Axlerod's plan to discredit alternative fuels from earlier clues.]]
* GreenAesop: Zig-zagged.
** Axlerod sponsors the World Grand Prix to promote his alternative fuel, Allinol. Subverted when [[spoiler:It's actually regular gasoline, and he's sabotaging his own race to discredit all alternative fuels.]]
** Played straight when [[spoiler:it's revealed that [=McQueen=] has been racing with Filmore's organic gasoline the entire time, because Sarge doesn't trust Big Oil companies.]]
* HeelRealization: Mater has a dream where he sees his activities over the past few days with Lightning abroad and finally realizes what an embarrassing jackass he has been.
* HerrDoktor: Professor Zündapp caters to this, as if the giant monocle, condescending tone of voice and his experience in dangerous weaponry didn't give it away before.
* TheHouseOfWindsor: In London, car versions of both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William appear.
* IronicEcho: [[spoiler:"Everything is voice-activated these days."]]
* {{Jerkass}}: Bernoulli, the Italian contestant and Lightning's main rival in the Grand Prix. Unlike Chick Hicks, he doesn't seem to be a cheat, just very talented and very arrogant.
** He seems to get better at the end of the film, to the point where he becomes VitriolicBestBuds with [=McQueen=].
* JamesBondage: [[spoiler:Finn, Holly, and Mater get tied to the inner workings of Big Bentley after they are captured by the Lemons.]]
* {{Knighting}}: Happens to [[spoiler:Mater]] in the end.
* LetsGetDangerous: [[spoiler:In the big brawl with the {{Mooks}} at the end, the residents of Radiator Springs prove themselves to be capable fighters, particularly Mater. (Making him a CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass?)]]
* ManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:Turns out that Professor Zundapp has been working for Miles Axlerod the whole while, who actually wants to press the continued use of regular gasoline, which he has a massive off-shore oil reserve of. Sabotaging the World Grand Prix is just a plot to besmirch ''all'' alternative fuels.]]
* MasterOfDisguise: Both Finn [=McMissile=] and Mater, thanks to their voice-activated holographic disguise systems.
* MatryoshkaObject: Sarge, Luigi, and Guido during the ending credits.
* MindScrew: [[spoiler:At one point when discussing fossil fuels, dinosaurs are brought up. ''Dinosaurs''. Just sit and let that sink in for a minute.
-->'''Mater:'''[[LampshadeHanging What happened to the dinosaurs?]]]]
** There's a female car in Paris whose eyes are in her headlights instead of her windshield. Naturally, Mater reacts to her appearance with shock.
*** It's one of the elements of the DarkerAndEdgier tone the second movie goes for. If Lemons are people born with disabilities, this female car is apperently meant to be one with heavy deformations.
** There's a car Pope. Does it imply there's a car Jesus too?... or for that matter, a car Buddha?
*** Heck, with the Kabuki dancers, Samurai helmets, and knighting ceremonies implying a LONG history, does that mean there was a Cars Middle Ages, or Cars Renaissance? And from that point, can we extrapolate a Cars Cowboys and Indians? Cars Cave Men even!
*** Wagons and carts, perhaps?
*** Could the earlier Victor Hugo have written a work entitled [[IncrediblyLamePun "The Hatchback of Notre Dame"?]]
*** The end credits show there's a car SPHINX at the expected place!
** Just what does Crabby the crab boat catch, anyway? Teeny undersea [=ROVs=]? Minisubs?
* MissionImpossibleCableDrop: Done by Finn [=McMissile=] when he spies on the Lemons.
* MistakenForSpies: Finn [=McMissile=] and Holly Shiftwell mistake Mater for an American spy.
* {{Mooks}}: Professor Z's underlings are The Lemons, a motley assortment of unloved car designs such as Gremlins and Pacers.
* MrFanservice: {{In-universe}}, Francesco Bernoulli. Sally and Flo are heavily attracted to his open tires.
-->'''Flo:''' I gotta get me some coolant!
* MythologyGag: During the credits sequence, [[{{Ratatouille}} Gusteau]]'s appears briefly, with a change in spelling.
** It showed up earlier, when they went to Paris.
** Also there's a drive-in movie theater showing [[TheIncredibles The Incridimobiles]]. Curiously enough, the Incredimobile is also the name of Mr. Incredible's car at the very beginning of his film.
* NamesTheSame: Victor Hugo.
* NationalStereotypes: Several, most notably GayParee, BritishRoyalGuards, and the big village banquet from Guido's Aunt and Uncle.
* NeverSayDie: At the beginning of the film, it's suggested that [[spoiler:Doc Hudson]] is dead.
** Totally averted in several scenes in the film unlike any other Pixar Film. They don't even really try to say things like "gone" or "taken care of".
** A Good examples is:
-->'''Professor Z:''' It's Finn [=McMissile!=] '''Kill him'''!
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed
** Darrell Cartrip from ''Cars'' is joined by F1 commentator David Hobbs as David Hobbscap, and sportscaster Brent Musburger as Brent Mustangburger.
** Jeff Gordon appears as Jeff Gorvette. See TheCameo above for more details.
** Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton appears as himself, albeit as a [=McLaren MP4-12C=] Grand Touring car. (Complete with tooth gap.)
* NonstandardCharacterDesign: The salescar with her eyes in her headlights in Paris.
** And it's possibly not meant to be exotic but an anomaly.
** Also a reference to how Pixar felt that eyes in the windshield was more appealing than on the headlights.
* NotJustATournament: The World Grand Prix was actually organized by the Lemons just so they can zap all of the competing racecars with a deadly radiation cannon as an attempt to destroy all alternative energy sources and force everyone back to using gasoline.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Finn and Holley believe this is what Mater is doing when they think he's the American agent they're supposed to meet with. Subverted later on when [[spoiler:Mater actually is able to figure out Axlerod's scheme before anyone else, who all assume he's still just as moronic as ever.]]
* OhCrap: Tony Trihull utters a small "Uh-oh" just before [[spoiler:being blown up.]]
* ParodicTableOfTheElements: The Automotive Table of the Elements.
* ThePollyanna: Mater.
* PowerOfTrust
* ProductPlacement: Mater sings the State Farm Insurance jingle when making a joke about Finn and Holly being "agents" (alluding to "insurance agents", not "secret agents") a few scenes after he meets them. The film has major tie-ins with State Farm, and Pixar even animated an entire commercial featuring an anthropomorphic State Farm vehicle voiced by their regular ad announcer.
* ProperlyParanoid: Sarge, [[spoiler:who saves [=McQueen=]'s life by secretly swapping out his sabotaged Allinol fuel with Fillmore's organic biofuel, because he's naturally distrustful of oil companies.]]
* PuppyDogEyes: Seen on Guido and Luigi when they read Mater's tearful farewell note.
* RecycledInSpace: Some believe ''Cars 2'' is ''NorthByNorthwest'' [[AC:WITH CARS!]]
* RunningBothSides: [[spoiler:Sir Miles Axlerod is hosting the World Grand Prix to promote his Allinol ''and'' is the shadowy leader of the Lemons.]]
* SequelGoesForeign: While the original film took place in Radiator Springs, in the sequel there are stops in Tokyo, Paris, Italy and London.
* SeriesContinuityError: Here is Kabuto seen in the ending of [[PixarShorts ''Tokyo Mater'']], and here is Kabuto in this movie. Wait a minute, how did he actually get all of his modifications back?!
** We're led to believe that the events of ''Mater's Tall Tales'' never happened, so Kabuto can exist without anything happening to his modifications prior. It would also explain why Mater is still experiencing culture shock when he arrives in Towkyo for real. A trickier question is how the spelling changed between films.
* ShapeshifterSwansong: Invoked when Mater's holographic disguise gets damaged, causing him to cycle through all the other forms he cooked up for it before it gives out.
* ShoutOut: Some believe Mater [[TopGear racing around an]] [[Film/MagicalMysteryTour airport landing strip]] is one.
** A restaurant in Paris called [[{{Ratatouille}} GasTow]]'s.
** Raoul Çaroule, the French contestant, is SO Sebastien Loeb!
** Holly [[ReversePolarity reverses the polarity ]] [[spoiler:[[Series/DoctorWho to turn back time]], though it's only Big Ben([[IncrediblyLamePun tley]])'s gears]]
** Finn [=McMissile=] pulls off [[StarWars two familiar-looking tricks in the opening]] - [[TheEmpireStrikesBack clinging to the side of a ship to avoid being noticed]], and [[AttackOfTheClones dumping some spare parts to feign his own death]].
** While he and Lightning banter over who deserves a [[AChristmasStory major award]], Francesco emphasizes that he is ''not'' [[AChristmasStory fra-gee-lay]].
** An automotive version of TakeshisCastle appears on a television set when the cast arrives in Japan.
** Visually, the [[spoiler:DeathTrap inside of Big Bently, and the way that Finn, Holly, and Mater escape from it,]] is very similar to the climax of TheGreatMouseDetective - itself inspired by the clock tower chase in TheCastleOfCagliostro, a movie often cited for its great spy action and excellent car chase sequence.
* SoftWater: Brutally averted with one of the mooks in the opening sequence. [=McMissle=] survives a similar impact minutes later, but he's also a heavily modded ''007'' car who, among other things, is designed to be submersible.
* SoLastSeason: In the first movie, [=McQueen=] training on dirt roads gave him a GameBreaker advantage - but this time, not only are dirt tracks incorporated into the official World Grand Prix routes, but one of the competitors has trained for dirt roads. Ironically, the dirt tracks are [[ThatOneLevel Francesco's]] AchillesHeel.
* SouthernFriedGenius: Mater knows everything about engines and engine parts, but in an idiot savant kind of way. Does this make him the universe's equivalent of a master surgeon?
** Considering his job, more like a paramedic who learned enough on his job to be a doctor.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:Mater]].
* SpySpeak: Finn [=McMissile=] and Holly Shiftwell recognize each other by discussing the Volkswagen's air-cooled engines. This backfires (thankfully not fatally) because [[spoiler:Mater is a tow truck with encyclopedic knowledge of engines.]]
* StealthPun: [[spoiler:Mater IS the bomb!]]
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Subverted at the end when Fillmore claims not to have [[spoiler:switched Allinol with biofuel]]. It's then revealed that it was actually Sarge who did so.
* TalkingYourWayOut: When he's surrounded by the Lemons' {{Mooks}}, Mater tries to invoke this by sympathizing with them as outcasts and laughingstocks. [[spoiler:It doesn't work.]]
* ThirdPersonPerson: "Francesco is familiar with reactions people get from Francesco."
* ThisCannotBe: when Francesco finds himself overtaken by flying spycar Holly and [[spoiler:rocket-enhanced ''Mater''.]]
* TimeForPlanB: [[spoiler:After the EMP cannon fails, the lemons resort to using a bomb strapped to Mater to kill Lightning.]]
* ToiletHumour: Mater accidentally goes into the women's bathroom in Tokyo. And once he gets to the right bathroom, he gets caught inside... in a bidet!
** Not so much a bidet as a play on how high-tech some Japanese toilets are compared to American ones, since they sometimes include features like self-heating seats, massage function, and other comforts.
* TooSoon: This movie was released to Pay Per View and DVD just weeks after a massive crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway killed driver Dan Wheldon, making the pileup in the Italy race a little uncomfortable.
* UncannyValley: In-universe, arguably the reason for Mater's reaction to the car with headlights for eyes.
* UnwittingPawn: Mater ends up as this when he goes to warn [=McQueen=]'s pit crew about the bomb planted in their midst. [[spoiler:It's actually in his air filter.]]
* UrineTrouble: Invoked when Mater gets on the stage in Japan and a puddle of oil appears under him [[spoiler:which was actually caused by Miles Axlerod.]]
** Mater's inability to understand the Japanese toilet's computer arguably led to this as well.
* VisualPun: At the Lemons' meeting in Italy there are platters of lemons on the table.
* WeaponizedCar: The espionage characters feature missiles, rockets, machine guns, and targeting systems hidden all along their bodies, most notably Finn [=McMissile=], Holly Shiftwell, Rod Redline, and Mater.
* WilhelmScream: when the {{Mooks}} are in the pub fight.
* WhyAmITicking: [[spoiler:Mater gets a time bomb bolted to his engine as a backup plan to kill Lightning [=McQueen=].]]
[[/folder]]

** Rod's joke to the lemons; implying they have some incestuous families. " Maybe it was your mother! Or your sister! It's getting kinda hard to tell them apart these days."

It currently holds around a 39% on the [[RottenTomatoes tomato-meter]]. [[BrokenStreak This is the FIRST Pixar movie to receive a rotten score]]; however, fans are divided on whether the criticism is warranted, or just critics' dissatisfaction that the film features [[BaseBreaker Mater]] as the main protagonist. A closer inspection on the Rotten reviews shows most of them are mixed. Superficially, the film was a box office success, but it also posted the lowest gross in over a decade since ''ABugsLife''.

** Subverted with Fillmore (George Carlin also died in 2008), who is voiced by Lloyd Sherr instead.
** And double subverted with Red (Joe Ranft), who does not speak at all (save for the odd sound effect).

* UnnecessaryRoughness: Done repeatedly in ''Cars'' by Chick Hicks, who won't hesitate to slam other racers and cause a thirty-car pileup just to stop [=McQueen=]. He never gets penalized in any way for his tactics, even after [[spoiler:causing a near-fatal crash for the retiring champion and winning the coveted Piston Cup championship.]]

!!''Cars 2'' features the following tropes

A series of computer-animated films from {{Pixar}} and directed by John Lasseter, who also directed the first two ''ToyStory'' movies and ''ABugsLife''. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin True to the title,]] the stories take place in a world entirely populated by anthropomorphic cars -- aside from plants, there are no organic life-forms of any sort. Just about everything else is reinterpreted into automotive counterparts, such as insects becoming [[StealthPun Volkswagen Beetles]] and rock formations in the shape of car bodies.

** Don't forget Mater's "I don't care who you are, that's funny right there", and "Git-r-done!", both of which are LarryTheCableGuy's {{Catch Phrase}}s.

* IAmTheTrope: Lightning's CatchPhrase - "I am speed."

** [[spoiler: Axlerod's plan to kill Lightning by planting a bomb in Mater himself also counts.]]

* MindScrew: [[spoiler:At one point when discussing fossil fuels, dinosaurs are brought up. ''Dinosaurs''. Just sit and let that sink in for a minute.

** While he and Lightning banter over who deserves a [[AChristmasStory major award,]] Francesco emphasizes that he is ''not'' [[AChristmasStory fra-gee-lay]].

** Visually, the [[spoiler:DeathTrap inside of Big Bently, and the way that Finn, Holly, and Mater escape from it,]] is very similar to the climax of TheGreatMouseDetective - itself inspired by the clock tower chase in TheCastleOfCagliostro, a movie often cited for its great spy action and excellent car chase sequence.

** Visually, the [[spoiler:DeathTrap inside of Big Bently, and the way that Finn, Holly, and Mater escape from it,]] is very similar to the climax of TheGreatMouseDetective.

Not to be confused with the song by Gary Numan, or [[TheCars Ric Ocasek's band]].

* ShoutOut: Some believe Mater [[TopGear racing around an]] [[MagicalMysteryTour airport landing strip]] is one.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Mater's plan to get Miles Axelrod to disarm the bomb.]]
** [[spoiler: Axelrod's plan to kill Lightning by planting a bomb in Mater himself also counts.]]

* [[spoiler:EvilBrit]]: [[spoiler:Sir Miles Axelrod.]]

* GoodIsNotDumb: Mater's simple nature belies the fact that he's a genius at recognizing obscure car parts at a glance. [[spoiler:Later, he also figures out Axelrod's plan to discredit alternative fuels from earlier clues.]]

** Axelrod sponsors the World Grand Prix to promote his alternative fuel, Allinol. Subverted when [[spoiler:It's actually regular gasoline, and he's sabotaging his own race to discredit all alternative fuels.]]

* ManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:Turns out that Professor Zundapp has been working for Miles Axelrod the whole while, who actually wants to press the continued use of regular gasoline, which he has a massive off-shore oil reserve of. Sabotaging the World Grand Prix is just a plot to besmirch ''all'' alternative fuels.]]

* ObfuscatingStupidity: Finn and Holley believe this is what Mater is doing when they think he's the American agent they're supposed to meet with. Subverted later on when [[spoiler:Mater actually is able to figure out Axelrod's scheme before anyone else, who all assume he's still just as moronic as ever.]]

* RunningBothSides: [[spoiler:Sir Miles Axelrod is hosting the World Grand Prix to promote his Allinol ''and'' is the shadowy leader of the Lemons.]]

* UrineTrouble: Invoked when Mater gets on the stage in Japan and a puddle of oil appears under him [[spoiler:which was actually caused by Miles Axelrod.]]