List of Cars characters

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

Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment team

Lightning McQueen

Main article: Lightning McQueen

Lightning McQueen, typically referred to by his surname McQueen, and occasionally called "Stickers" by Sally, is the main protagonist and is voiced by actor Owen Wilson in the films and by Keith Ferguson on other occasions between 2007 and 2010. He is named after Glenn McQueen, a Pixar Animator who died of melanoma in October 2002, although the car shares certain traits with actor and race car driver Steve McQueen. His overall profile was inspired by stock cars and a "more curvaceous Le Mans endurance racer", e.g., Lola and Ford GT40. His number, 95, is a reference to the year Pixar released its first feature-length movie, Toy Story. In the beginning of the film, Lightning McQueen is a witty yet overconfident race car, 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 because of two blown rear tires. McQueen also wanted the Dinoco deal because of his dislike to his somewhat awkward Rust-Eze sponsorship and the rusty cars within it. He gets lost in Radiator Springs on his way to California and meets new friends who seek to restore their town to its former glory. His experience teaches him there is more to life than glory. It is there he meets Mater and falls in love with the town attorney and hotelier, Sally Carrera. He changes his look at the end of the movie to help out the townsfolk, and his appreciation for his benefactors is restored. 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 and relocate to the town forever to make it his racing headquarters. He will appear again in Cars 2.

Mack

Mack is a 1980s-era Mack Super-Liner truck 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 awakens, 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. During the end credits, Mack is at the drive-in theater watching car versions of other Pixar films (A Bug's Life, Toy Story, Monster's Inc) and while he enjoys the car-versions of other characters his voice actor played (Hamm, The Piggy Bank, P.T Flea, and The Abominable Snowman), he realizes that they're all the same actor and says "They're just using the same actor over and over. What kind of cut-rate production is this?" He is also shown at Flo's Cafe in the short film Mater and the Ghostlight, as well as in the video game based on the film. He will appear again in Cars 2.

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

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" (a pun) and is voiced by Mike "No Name" Nelson.

Harv

Harv is Lightning McQueen's agent. Never seen on-screen, McQueen speaks to Harv via his speaker phone when McQueen and Mack are on route to the tiebreaker race and again when Mack is in Radiator Springs to pick up McQueen. Consequently, little is known of Harv's character except that he would fire Mack if he didn't get McQueen in Mack's trailer.

Harv is voiced by actor Jeremy Piven and is based on his character Ari Gold from the HBO series Entourage. In the United Kingdom edition of the movie, Harv is voiced by Top Gear's co-host, Jeremy Clarkson. This equivalent of Harv is implied by Clarkson to be a 1979 Ford Granada Ghia, while the American version is said to be a 1996 Oldsmobile.

Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze

The Rust-eze Brothers, Rusty and Dusty, are the spokescars and owners of Rust-Eze, the team that sponsors Lightning. Rusty is a 1963 Dodge Dart and Dusty, a 1964 Dodge A100. Rusty and Dusty are voiced by real-life brothers 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; his number—43—was Petty's racecar number. Even the "Dinoco Blue" color is taken from Petty's Superbird on display at the Richard Petty Museum. 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 seven Piston Cups, and is hoping for another win in the tie-breaker race. He tells Lightning McQueen to remember the importance of 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. On the final lap of the tie-breaker race, Chick rams The King, sending him into a terrible rollover crash, reminiscent of Richard Petty's Daytona 500 crash in 1988. When McQueen sees what has happened, he realizes that The King's career, and potentially life, might end the way Doc Hudson's did. So after deliberately letting Chick win, McQueen helps The King get across the finish line to let him finish his last race before retirement, much to the audience's delight. The King is last seen visiting the racing museum in Radiator Springs with his wife and another Piston Cup racer, Dale Jr, stating that Doc Hudson was his inspiration. In the Danish edition of the movie, The King is voiced by eight-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. He won't appear in Cars 2.

Lynda 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. In the movie, he has a Hoosier accent. 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.

Transport helicopter

The Dinoco Transport helicopter is based on a Mil Mi-26. It is seen on top of the Dinoco tent during the races and Mater gets a ride in it over Radiator Springs at the end of the film.

Hostile Takeover Bank team

Chick Hicks

Chick Hicks (voiced by Michael Keaton) is "a generic Pixar design, 'a stock 1980s American car'" according to Pixar publicity coordinator Amanda Sorena but strongly resembles a GM G-body, with features from both the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Buick Grand National. He is the main antagonist of the first film, beating both Lightning McQueen and The King to win the Piston Cup. He has spent his entire career trailing Strip "The King" Weathers, and is bitter about this fact. His number is 86, which is probably a reference to violent and the destructive way that he races. It also may have something to do with 86 is 43 multiplied by two. His sponsor is the "Hostile Takeover Bank." His pit crew are mean to Guido for being tiny, although his skills are superior to their own. Determined to do whatever it takes to win, Chick will often ram other cars to cause a wreck (though how he always gets away with this without being penalized is never explained). He hates Lightning McQueen, but tends to copy him, and adopts the nickname 'Thunder' which McQueen originally used as a put-down. Other than hating McQueen, Chick also hates The King, as Chick himself always come behind him in second place. Chick and McQueen share the same dream of being the new face of Dinoco. On the final lap of the tie-breaker race, Chick becomes so determined not to come in behind The King again that he rams the older racer so violently that he is sent flying off the track and into a devastating and horrifying roll-over wreck. He expects a huge ovation after McQueen deliberately lets him win the Piston Cup, but is instead blasted with confetti, booed off the stage, denied the opportunity to represent Dinoco, and forced to make a quick getaway with his trophy, much to his anger, rendering his victory hollow and meaningless. In many ways, he represents what Lightning McQueen could have become. Chick is seen again in the Cars Race-O-Rama video game as the main antagonist, in which he tries to take revenge for his humiliation back at the Piston Cup race and recruit rookies for him to groom in his mold by closing down McQueen's racing academy and opening up his own in Radiator Springs. He won't appear in Cars 2.

Radiator Springs populace

Mater

Main article: Mater (Cars)

Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) was inspired by a 1951 International Harvester tow truck but bears more of a resemblance to a 1955-57 Chevrolet or GMC; the actual inspiration may be the 1955-56 version since the hood which Mater recovers at the end of the film after a forty-year absence lacks the "gunsights" of the 1957 model. His license plate reads "A113." Mater runs "Tow Mater Towing and Salvage." 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 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. At the last race, when McQueen is spun out, he races backwards after being spun out, implying that he learned to drive backwards from Mater. In the end, McQueen gives Mater an opportunity to fly in a Dinoco helicopter like he always wanted. He will appear again in Cars 2.

Sally Carrera

Sally Carrera (voiced by Bonnie Hunt) is a royal blue 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera. Her California 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. So I left California just drove and drove, and finally broke down right here (Wheel Well Motel). 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 friendly nickname. In the UK cars magazine Top Gear, Sally was included in the magazine's list of the 10 sexiest cars in the World. She will appear again in Cars 2.

Doc Hudson

Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman); also known as "Dr. Hudson" or simply "Doc". His license plate reads 51HHMD (a reference to his year and track number (51) model (Hudson Hornet) and profession (medical doctor)). 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 during the final lap of the 1954 Piston Cup championship race 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 killed 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. He was less than happy when McQueen discovers his past. After McQueen finished fixing the road he damaged and decided to stay for a while, Doc was unable to bear having him around any longer and called the news and press to immediately take him away to the Piston Cup, declaring that it is best for everyone. But seeing how disheartened everyone was by his unplanned departure, Doc realized that McQueen had become more important to them than he thought. He eventually admits the truth to everyone about his Racecar days and he took back his old #51 colors to become McQueen's pit crew chief, bringing nearly the entire town (except Sally, Red, and Lizzy who watch the race on TV) to the Piston Cup to support Lightning as his pit crew (and in an ironic twist of fate, finally received that long awaited fanfare for his return). By the end of the film, Doc opts to keep his racing colors, and becomes a trainer as well as a friend 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. It is unknown if he will appear in Cars 2.

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

Sheriff

Sheriff (voiced by Michael Wallis) is a 1949 Mercury Club Coupe police car, 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. Upon catching McQueen -who had become ensnared in power lines and fencing- Sheriff borrows a line used by actor Joe Higgins, who played a sheriff in early 1970s Dodge commercials: "Boy, you're in a heap of trouble." At one point in the film when Sally gives McQueen some gas, Sheriff worried that McQueen would try to escape the town, noticing McQueen's expression, while looking in the direction of the Interstate. Sheriff then turns on his gumball. Lightning chooses to accompany Sally, rather than making an escape attempt, resulting in Sheriff switching off his emergency lighting. This suggests the beginning of trust in Lightning by Sheriff. He later befriends Lightning McQueen, even offering him a police escort to California and even giving a few sniffles when he thought Lightning had left after finishing fixing the road (though he denied it claiming he was glad Lightning was gone), and joins his pit crew for the championship race. He will appear again in Cars 2.

Luigi

Luigi (voiced by Tony Shalhoub) is a 1959 Fiat 500. He 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. 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 (owing to the substantial havoc that he inflicted upon the town when he first arrived), because he is not a Ferrari ("Luigi follow only the Ferraris"), but later on they learn to show courtesy to McQueen, fitting him with whitewalls. During the big race, Luigi and Guido work as part of Lightning's pit crew, excited to be working on a real race car even though it's not a Ferrari. In the end, McQueen directs a group of Italian sports cars — a Ferrari (voiced by Michael Schumacher) and two Maserati Quattroportes — to his shop, having recommended it. The presence of a celebrity Ferrari in their store causes both Luigi and Guido to faint from shock and happiness.

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.

In the early teaser trailer for the film, there was a scene with race cars that were not seen in the main film racing. As one crosses the finish line, the camera cuts to a car that appears to be Luigi waving the checkered flag. Since this was merely a teaser, the scene is either not canon or takes place in the future. He will appear again in Cars 2.

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 a member of Lightning's new pit crew, he performed the fastest pit stop in Piston Cup history, changing all four tires in four seconds, shocking Chick Hicks' pit crew (and making their moustaches/grills fall off in the process) who had earlier made fun of him.

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 (and thus presumably familiar with that dialect), 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 Chevrolet 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 as purple with a yellow and orange flame job, but throughout the film he changes his paint job every morning to keep his skills sharp, owing to a lack of customers. This situation changes after Radiator Springs becomes vibrant again.

The Lowrider was (and is) a favored car among Chicanos in urban areas thus the casting of Cheech Marin—himself Mexican American. The slit-like grills on the hood resemble a pencil-thin mustache.

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 touch a classic like Flo, which made her heart melt. The story took place in Radiator Springs of 1974.

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. (The story of their romance is told in the previous paragraph.) 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". A shot of Flo's rear end during the cruising scene shows a secondary plate above her license plate which reads "Motorama 1957." According to a deleted scene, she is indeed 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).

Fillmore

Fillmore (voiced by George Carlin) is a Volkswagen Type 2 microbus of late 1950s/early 1960s vintage as evidenced by his pointed front turn signals and small rear window. Fillmore's license plate reads "51237", which is a reference to May 12, 1937, the birthdate of George Carlin. He is a stereotypical hippie, with his license plate positioned to resemble a soul patch. His name is a reference to the Fillmore East, a venue that was an epicenter for rock performances throughout the 1960s and 1970s (The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, and Jimi Hendrix all made notable live recordings there, to name a few). He owns an organic fuel shop (Fillmore's Organic Fuel) which features several flavors, and believes gasoline companies are lying to the public. 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." This is much to Sarge's irritation, as he shouts at Fillmore:

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.

He has a sticker on his rear that says "I brake for Jackalopes". The jackalope is a mythical creature which features in the theatrical short "Boundin'" shown with The Incredibles. He has appeared in every Disney Cars game so far. He will appear again in Cars 2 with a new voice actor, Jeff Bridges.

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 World War II era Willys MB. His license plate reads "41WW2", which indicates the date the Willys MB entered the service of the U.S. Army (1941 World War II). He runs a surplus store, named "Sarge's Surplus Hut", next door to Fillmore and acts as part of Lightning's pit crew, gassing him up during the race. 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 T.J. Hummer, Murphy, Frank "Pinky" Pinkerton, and Charlie Cargo.

Lizzie

Lizzie (voiced by Katherine Helmond), a 1923 Ford Model T coupe, 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. When she is shown teasing Luigi and Guido in the film, stating that "the new road makes your place look like a dump." Luigi angrily says that she is a crazy, devilish old woman; but despairs at the truth of her words.

Red

Red (voiced by Joe Ranft) is a mid-1960s closed-cab pumper bearing Carburetor County license plate "002." He is shy and emotional, often bursting into tears and/or hiding whenever he is upset. He spends most of his time gardening and washing things, such as the statue of Stanley next to his fire station. It was stated by Mater that Red hated McQueen for accidentally killing his flowers, but it is clear that Red had forgiven McQueen and warmed up to him, especially since he burst into tears and fled when he thought McQueen left without saying goodbye (which he didn't, but was, unfortunately, forced to do later). In the movie, Red never spoke (not counting his sobs and gasps). Joe Ranft died in a car accident in August 2005, 11 months before the movie was released. As a result of this it is unknown if Red will return in Cars 2.

Stanley

Stanley is Lizzie's late husband and was the founder of Radiator Springs. Stanley was probably a Stanley Steamer, a steam-driven automobile. A statue of Stanley stands outside the town hall, and although it was broken off its pedestal and dragged through the streets on a cable by Lightning McQueen, it was fortunately undamaged, and another mishap placed the statue right back where it was. Although dead, Stanley continues to exert an influence on the town, particularly over Lizzie, who often talks to his statue in memory of him.

Frank

Frank is a generic orange combine harvester that resembles a bull, and the guardian of the tractors. After Lightning McQueen's first encounter with Frank during a night of tractor tipping with Mater, Lightning starts dreaming that he, The King, and Chick Hicks (the last of whom does not even survive) are beaten by Frank in the tie-breaker race after beginning to feel that he is being distracted by his time in Radiator Springs. He is last seen with the tractors at the drive-in theatre scenes. He is also seen in the short Mater and the Ghostlight when Mater races past him, waking him up.

His name was inspired by his voice actor Frank Welker.

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. He also says "I'm so excited, they're gonna have to tow me out of the booth!" 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 Coke, 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, Alabama.

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. The character's name is obviously a reference to the Oldsmobile Cutlass. Cutlass is actually supposed to resemble a 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora, even though the Aurora was never offered in a 2 door model.

Other vehicles

Mia and Tia (known as The Twins)

Mia, (voiced by Lindsey Collins), and Tia, (voiced by Elissa Knight), are identical twin 1992 Mazda Miata sisters who are Lightning McQueen's self-proclaimed biggest fans. After McQueen's disappearance, the twins are devastated that McQueen apparently will not make it to the race. Chick Hicks then swoops in and consoles them, loading them up with his own merchandise and a free Hostile Takeover Bank-sponsored paint job. Mia and Tia accept the offer, not because they are Chick's fans, but because the color green complements their eyes. By the end of the movie, they are McQueen's fans once more, turning against Hicks after he deliberately causes Strip "The King" Weathers to wreck in the tie-breaker race. Mia and Tia eventually move to Radiator Springs and work as waitresses at Flo's V8 Cafe, as seen during the end credits. In Lightning McQueen's daydream about the Dinoco Sponsorship, the twins are Dinoco blue, except for the scene in the penthouse, where they are painted gold. In a deleted scene on the Cars DVD, the twins are waitresses at a truck stop at which McQueen stops.

When they first meet Lightning, Mia and Tia flash their pop-up 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) are husband and wife. They are lost and pass through Radiator Springs while trying to find their way back to Interstate 40. Minny also mentions that Van did the same when they were heading up to the "Crazy Days" (a parody of Derby Days) in Shakopee. Van refuses to ask directions, claiming not to need them due to having a GPS. 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 is a 2003 Ford Windstar and Minny appears to be a 1996 Dodge Caravan.

Delinquent Road Hazards

The Delinquent Road Hazards are a group of four modified tuner cars that intentionally cause trouble on the highway: Boost (Purple Neon/Silver 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse), DJ (Blue 2004 Scion xB), Wingo (Green and purple 2000 Nissan Silvia S15) and Snot Rod (Orange 1970 Plymouth Barracuda). They catch Mack nodding off to sleep on the way to California, and amuse themselves by nudging him onto the rumble strips along the shoulder. The resulting vibration causes Mack's trailer door to open and a sleeping McQueen to roll out of the trailer. When the chronically-sniffly Snot Rod sneezes, Mack is startled awake, and accelerates away, leaving the still-sleeping McQueen behind near Radiator Springs, thus making the Hazards mostly responsible for McQueen's disappearance. However, in an act of poetic justice, during the end credits the Hazards are seen speeding on the outskirts of Radiator Springs just as the Sheriff arrives and places them in the impound lot. It is then later revealed that Doc Hudson himself sentenced the Hazards to messy roadwork towing Bessie for their actions. In the Italian dub, three of the Hazards are voiced by former F1 drivers: Giancarlo Fisichella (Boost), Emanuele Pirro (Wingo) and Jarno Trulli (DJ).

Kori Turbowitz

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

Jay Limo

Jay Limo, like his voice actor Jay Leno, is a talk show host. He resembles the latest generation of the Lincoln Town Car. He remarks "I don't know what's going to be harder to find; Lightning McQueen or a crew chief who'll work for him!"

Albert Hinkey

Albert Hinkey (voiced by Douglas "Mater" Keever) is an RV that proclaims that he is Lightning's "biggest" fan.("Biggest" being a pun because he is such a large vehicle.) 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.

Fred

Fred (voiced by Andrew Stanton) Fred is a starstruck, 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!" He was seen again in the end credits spinning around in a circle with rust falling out from under him. When he stopped, his front bumper fell off again. He also shows up in Mater National.

TJ Hummer

TJ Hummer is a vain Hummer H1 that Sarge teaches in his boot camp during the end of the movie. Unlike the other SUVs in the boot camp, TJ refuses to go off road, fearing that he will get dirt on his rims, but Sarge forces him to do so.

Sven "The Governator"

Sven "The Governator" (based on and voiced by 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 position as California governor, the first three Terminator films he starred on, and the fact that he was one of the first Hummer H1 owners. Also, one of Schwarzenegger's best friends is fellow bodybuilder and actor Sven-Ole Thorsen, which might have inspired to the character's first name.

Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is a 2006 Ferrari F430 sports car voiced by Schumacher himself. He is a Ferrari in reference to his recent championships with Ferrari F1. He appears at Luigi's shop at the end of the movie after being told by Lightning McQueen that "this is the best place in the world to buy tires", and asks to order a few sets of tires for himself and a pair of Maserati Quattroportes who accompany him. After Luigi faints from the excitement of having "a real Michael Schumacher Ferrari in his store", Schumacher speaks to Guido in Italian, and Guido subsequently faints. The Italian phrase he speaks is, "I hope that your friend recovers, I was told that you are fantastic."

Jerry Recycled Batteries

Jerry (voiced by Joe Ranft) is a 1979 Peterbilt 352 that Lightning McQueen mistook for Mack. He has the words "Recycled Batteries" on his side.

Bessie

Bessie is a tarmac laying machine that is used to fix roads. When Lightning McQueen accidentally destroyed the road with the statue of Stanley, the residents of Radiator Springs sentenced him to fix the road with her. She was later seen at the end of the movie when the Delinquent Road Hazards had to fix the road with her as punishment for speeding. Sometimes Bessie boils over and splats tar onto the car(s) pulling her. Bessie is a "non-living" vehicle, it cannot move by itself, and it has no voice actor in the film. It can be supposed she is non-sentient.

Piston Cup officials

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'.

Other racecars

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8, is a Piston Cup racecar, and is voiced by the NASCAR driver, closely resembling his #8 NASCAR car which was driven until 2008, with the exception that the Budweiser stickers were replaced by Dale Earnhardt Inc. stickers to avoid advertising beer in the film. He has one friend named the King. He is a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo stock car. Junior was first seen in the race at the beginning of the film where he was approaching the track and is later seen in the pits. He was seen again during the "McQueen's Missing" scene saying that he hoped that Lightning was okay, then at the tie-breaker Junior is seen wishing The King good luck in his last race. Junior was last seen at the Radiator Springs racing museum with The King and his wife Lynda. Dale Jr. doesn't appear in the video game.

Mario Andretti #11

Mario Andretti voices his eponymous character, who is a former racecar that believes every day is a great day for racing. He is based on the 1967 Ford Fairlane that the real Andretti drove to victory in the 1967 Daytona 500. In the Spanish edition of the movie, Andretti is voiced by Formula One champion, Fernando Alonso.