Buzz
12 years ago, Pixar's Cars zoomed into theaters. Strap in, start your engines, and join us as we explore some fun, behind-the-scenes tidbits about the Academy Award-winning studio’s high-speed adventure.
1. IT STARTED AS A STORY ABOUT AN UNLIKELY HERO—AN ELECTRIC CAR.
Cars was initially conceived as Little Yellow Car, focusing on an electric car that struggles with discrimination from its gas-powered peers. Pixar artist Jorgen Klubien, who came up with the story while working on A Bug’s Life, drew inspiration from real automotive history in his native Denmark.
“In the 1980s, a group of visionary individuals came up with the idea of creating a single-passenger, three-wheeled electric car,” Klubien recalled. “It worked perfectly in the city but couldn’t keep up on highways. People also didn’t like how it looked. I believed this electric car was ahead of its time, and it puzzled me that my fellow Danes didn’t see it. It reminded me of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen—this iconic Danish character wasn’t embraced at first but eventually proved to be ahead of its time,”
The original story was considered too thin to carry the entire film, though the small-town backdrop continued to serve as a source of inspiration.
2. THE FILM'S CO-WRITER AND DIRECTOR PASSED AWAY DURING ITS MAKING.
Cars is dedicated to Joe Ranft, the film's co-writer and co-director, who tragically passed away in a car accident on August 16, 2005, while Cars was still in production. Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005), which Ranft executive produced, also carries a dedication to him.
3. MATER IS INSPIRED BY A REAL NASCAR FAN.
The lovable country tow truck Mater got his name from NASCAR enthusiast Douglas “Mater” Keever, whom the filmmakers met during a research trip to North Carolina’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway (now known as Charlotte Motor Speedway). Keever even has a voice cameo as the motorhome who exclaims, “Well dip me in axle grease and call me slick” early in the movie. (Keever improvised the line, which was originally written as “Well dip me in axle grease and call me lubrication.” According to Keever, producer Darla Anderson decided to change it, possibly because she felt it sounded inappropriate.)
4. SEVERAL ICONIC AUTOMOTIVE FIGURES CONTRIBUTED THEIR VOICES.
The reigning racing champion, Strip “The King” Weathers, is voiced by real-life racing legend Richard Petty, who shares the same nickname as his animated counterpart. Weathers’s wife, credited as “Mrs. The King,” is voiced by Petty’s own wife, Lynda Petty. Other notable figures from the automotive world also lend their voices: announcer and former racer Darrell Waltrip voices “Darrell Cartrip”; Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of NPR’s Car Talk, voice Lightning McQueen’s sponsors, Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze; and racers Michael Schumacher, Mario Andretti, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. voice animated versions of themselves. (Although he voices announcer “Bob Cutlass,” sports commentator Bob Costas doesn’t actually cover racing.)
5. SOME VOICES WERE CHANGED FOR INTERNATIONAL VERSIONS.
For the UK release of Cars, Jeremy Piven was replaced as the voice of Lightning McQueen’s unseen agent, Harv, by Top Gear co-host Jeremy Clarkson. “The King” was also voiced by different racers in various international releases, as Richard Petty isn’t as well-known outside the United States. In Germany, The King is voiced by Formula One champion Niki Lauda, while in Spain, it’s voiced by Formula One driver Fernando Alonso.
6. MOST CHARACTERS ARE INSPIRED BY REAL CARS.
While Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Chick Hicks are original Pixar creations, the majority of other characters are inspired by real-life vehicles. These include Doc Hudson (1951 Hudson Hornet), Ramone the custom body painter (1959 Chevy Impala), tire salesman Luigi (1959 Fiat 500), peace-loving Fillmore (1960 Volkswagen Microbus), army surplus store owner Sarge (1942 Willys Jeep), and Mack, the big rig who transports Lightning (Mack Superliner). Sally, portrayed as a 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera, is the only Radiator Springs character modeled after a modern car.
7. IT SET A NEW BENCHMARK FOR REALISM IN ANIMATED FILMS.
Cars was the first Pixar film to use a groundbreaking technique called “ray tracing,” which accurately simulates how light interacts with and reflects off surfaces. In simpler terms, this technology allows for realistic reflections without the need for manual adjustments by the artists. Ray tracing requires immense computational power, meaning that each frame (or about 1/24th of a second) of Cars took an average of 17 hours to render. Some frames even took up to a week to complete.
8. IT WAS PAUL NEWMAN'S FINAL FILM—AND HIS MOST SUCCESSFUL.
Cars marks the final cinematic appearance of Paul Newman, who, in addition to being a renowned actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, developed a passion for racing after starring in the 1969 film Winning. It is also the highest-grossing film of Newman’s career (not adjusted for inflation).
9. KID ROCK HELPED INSPIRE LIGHTNING MCQUEEN’S CHARACTER.
To capture the essence of the rookie racing star Lightning McQueen, directing animator James Ford Murphy “put together a collection of little bios on famous figures who were extremely confident yet incredibly likable.” Among those he drew inspiration from were athletes Muhammad Ali, Charles Barkley, and Joe Namath, along with musician Kid Rock.
10. YOU CAN ACTUALLY VISIT THE MOUNTAINS THAT INSPIRED RADIATOR SPRINGS (KIND OF).
The mountains surrounding Radiator Springs are inspired by the real-life Cadillac Ranch, a public art installation near Amarillo, Texas, featuring several heavily spray-painted Cadillacs half-buried in the ground, facing downward.
Additional Reference: The Pixar Touch, by David A. Price
