Lightning McQueen

In Cars, Lightning begins as a talented but cocky rookie in the Piston Cup racing series who becomes stranded in the small town of Radiator Springs, where he learns about humility and friendship from the locals.

He has been mentioned in commentary by NASCAR racing drivers, including Kyle Busch and Chris Buescher, and his achievements have been discussed by sports journalist Stephen A. Smith.

Lasseter took driving lessons at the Infineon Raceway from instructors at the Jim Russell Racing School to get an authentic experience of motorsport, which became invaluable for giving direction to Owen Wilson, the voice of Lightning McQueen.

Cars reflects Lasseter's sadness over the decline of small towns on Route 66, which he said "died overnight" following the construction of interstate highways after World War II.

For Lightning McQueen, the team wanted to bring beauty to his movement, so they took inspiration from surfers, snowboarders and athletes like American basketball player Michael Jordan.

He said that, as a racing car, he is entirely self-centered and his goal at the start of the film is to reach the finish line, but by spending time in Radiator Springs, he has to learn that "life is about the journey, not the destination".

In Cars 3, Lightning McQueen takes the same role as Strip 'The King' Weathers, an ageing character from the first film, because, like him, he is threatened by newcomer Jackson Storm.

After experiencing a devastating crash, McQueen finds the solution in the form of Cruz Ramirez, who repeatedly reminds him of his age and helps him learn that he no longer has to train like a young man.

Story supervisor Scott Morse said that the Pixar team thought it important to show the changes in his character because they felt that children comprehend circumstances above their level: "McQueen is maturing; he's evolving.

"[9] Cars 3 director Brian Fee also cited conversations with retiring racing driver Jeff Gordon, alongside his own personal experiences of mentoring his daughters, as inspiration for the emotional core of Lightning McQueen feeling pride in helping someone else to win rather than being preoccupied with his own achievements.

Lasseter wanted him to stand out next to the other World Grand Prix contestants so flames were added to his body due to them being a common style feature of American hot-rods.

[20] Lightning McQueen is a rookie racecar in the Piston Cup series and secretly disdains his sponsor, Rust-eze, hoping to be chosen by the more prestigious Dinoco team.

During the final race of the season, he blows his rear tires and finishes in a three-way tie with the soon-to-retire Strip 'The King' Weathers and perennial runner-up Chick Hicks.

His stay is interrupted when Mater inadvertently causes him to participate in the inaugural World Grand Prix, sponsored by former oil tycoon Miles Axlerod, who hopes to promote his new biofuel, Allinol.

Lightning pushes himself too hard while trying to compete with Storm in the season's final race and damages his engine, causing him to lose control and suffer a rollover crash.

[35][36][37] Lightning McQueen is a character at Cars Land, a themed section of Disney California Adventure, which debuted on 15 June 2012 and features a ride named Radiator Springs Racers.

Lisa Schwarzbaum writing for Entertainment Weekly said that McQueen's story arc, in which he learns that loyalty and community are more important than personal advancement, was nothing new and had already been done in numerous films including in Over the Hedge and by Michael J.

[49] Paul Arendt of the BBC also noted the similarity to Doc Hollywood and expressed boredom over an "arrogant racing car" learning a lesson about community and teamwork.

[50] Nick Schager of Slant described his story arc as the "maturation of narcissistic stock car rookie" and thought his character development was a simplistic transition from "materialistic, self-involved jerk to noble role model".

[51] Philip French of The Guardian described Lightning McQueen as a "cocky, callow, young racing car, a flashy red affair" but noted the many positive lessons that he learns over the course of the film.

[52] Mick LaSalle writing for the San Francisco Chronicle opined that the film raises too many questions about the motivations of its protagonist, describing him as an "armless, legless, cumbersome creature, inhabiting a lonely landscape in which no real connection is possible".

[53] Conversely, Michael Agger of Slate praised the "heartwarming on-screen bondings" in the film, particularly scenes involving McQueen and Mater, and a dating sequence with Sally.

[54] The Washington Post's Stephen Hunter found similarities to Lightning McQueen in the boxing stories of the 1930s as a "champ who's really a chump" who learns lessons in humility and respect.

[57] Matt Fowler of IGN also commented on this, stating that he is reduced to playing the "straight man", but thought that giving Mater the main role in the film was a positive move because he felt that McQueen is a "dry character".

[64] IGN's Eric Goldman applauded the depth in McQueen's character, stating that his story arc is "filled with allegory and metaphor" and praising the film for its detailed portrayal of what it means to be an ageing athlete.

He noted that although the story makes McQueen a sympathetic character due to being "soft-spoken and neurotically obsessed with going back to his roots", children would struggle to relate to him because the newcomer Jackson Storm is too fast to beat.

[67] Robbie Collins writing for The Telegraph described the film as a "profound victory lap" for Lightning McQueen, noting the emotional significance of losing his mentor Doc Hudson and the "touching contemplation of legacies" shared with Cruz.

[a] In 2011, Liam Lacey writing for The Globe and Mail opined that Lightning McQueen should change his catchphrase to "ka-ching", due to the success of Cars merchandise, which had earned almost $10 billion from the first film alone.

[81] A debate over Lightning McQueen's status as the greatest of all time raged with fans on social media in November 2023, eventually involving American sports journalist Stephen A. Smith, who opined that he could not be regarded as such in comparison to Strip 'The King' Weathers.

[83] In May 2024, Chris Buescher made a similar joke after losing to Kyle Larson in a close photo finish at Kansas Speedway by commenting, "Guess I should've pulled a Lightning McQueen and stuck out my tongue.

Headshot of John Lasseter
Cars director John Lasseter conceived the idea of using a racing car as the main character in the film.
Owen Wilson , Lightning McQueen's primary voice actor, at the 2017 Daytona 500
Lightning McQueen in Cars Land