Cars on the Road

Some time after the events of Cars 3 (2017), Lightning McQueen and Mater embark on a cross-country road trip around the United States to attend the wedding of Mater's sister, Mato. Along the way, they come across various locations and characters old and new. ==Voice cast==

• Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen • Larry the Cable Guy as Mater • Quinta Brunson as Ivy • Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera • Jenifer Lewis as Flo • Cheech Marin as Ramone • Lloyd Sherr as Fillmore • Tony Shalhoub as Luigi • Guido Quaroni as Guido • Tania Gunadi as Lisa • Ruth Livier as Louise • Steve Purcell as Randy / Wraith Rod • Matthew Yang King as Clutch Humboldt / Wraith Rod / Crew Pitty • Kathy Holly as Speed Demon • Masa Kanome as Noriyuki • Toks Olagundoye as Margaret Motorray / Chiefess • Gabby Sanalitro as Griswold • Megan Cavanagh as Mae Pillar-Durev / Bella Cadavre • Hayden Bishop as Kay Pillar-Durev / 1st AD • Secunda Wood as Brakelight Pictures' producer • Matt Lowe as Brakelight Pictures' crew members • Zeno Robinson as Lance the Writer / Jeremy • Dave Fennoy as Town Marshall / Justice Stern • Tom Bromhead as Cap'n Long Leggy • Debra Cardona as Squat • Cristela Alonzo as Cruz Ramirez • Dana Powell as Mato • Oscar Camacho as Mateo Red, Mack, Sheriff, Sarge and Lizzie make silent cameos in "Dino Park". == Episodes ==

Development On December 10, 2020, Pixar announced on Disney Investors Day that an animated series starring Lightning McQueen and Mater traveling the country while meeting friends, new and old, was in development and that it would be released on Disney+ in the fall of 2022. It also announced that the series is written by Steve Purcell (additional screenplay materialist of Cars) and produced by Marc Sondheimer (producer of ''Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool), with Purcell, Bobby Podesta (supervising animator of Cars 3) and previous Cars franchise director Brian Fee directing episodes for the series. According to Sondheimer, the directors worked together to maintain continuity within the series. On November 12, 2021, it was announced that the series would be titled Cars on the Road''. According to Purcell, a few concepts for episodes were unused, though he hoped to use them in a potential second season. Writing The filmmakers wanted a short-form series because they felt it was the best way to explore the concept of a road trip, while also exploring the relationship between Lightning and Mater, as the producers felt the characters lacked screentime together. Each episode features a different tone and genre. The concept for the series was suggested by Purcell as the producers brainstormed ideas, having been inspired by a childhood road trip he took with his family; he wanted to explore how Lightning and Mater react to finding themselves in different scenarios. Purcell also sought for each episode to have "a totally new sensibility" for which McQueen and Mater would react to. Casting On November 12, 2021, it was announced that Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy would reprise their respective roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater. According to director Brian Fee, Larry and Wilson were allowed to provide suggestions while recording their lines. Each episode features a variation of the theme song to reflecting its style. The soundtrack, featuring Monaco's score and four songs, including two versions of the theme, was released on September 5, 2022. ==Release==

Cars on the Road premiered on September 8, 2022, on Disney+, part of Disney+ Day and consists of nine episodes. Disney Junior also added a compilation of the entire show on January 7, 2024. Internationally, Disney Jr. Latinoamérica, Disney Junior España and Disney Junior Deutschland uploaded the episodes of the show to their YouTube channels beginning in fall 2023. Finally, Cars on the Road debuted on the German Disney Channel on November 19, 2023. The series premiered on TV with the episode "Gettin' Hitched" on Disney Jr. on June 7, 2025, after the popularity the series got after posting full episodes on YouTube. The series also aired on Disney Channel on June 8, 2025, and went off its broadcast on June 29, 2025. The series also aired on Disney XD. Marketing The official trailer was released by Pixar's YouTube channel on August 1, 2022. To promote the series' release, McDonald's launched its promotional campaign by including one of eight toys free with the purchase of a Happy Meal. == Reception ==

Critical reception On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 93% approval rating, with an average rating of 7.00/10 based on 14 reviews. Joel Keller of Decider found the series to be a classic buddy road trip, praising the humor and the way the show parodies pop culture, while applauding the performances of the voice actors, citing the dynamic between Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy. Polly Conway of Common Sense Media rated the series 4 out of 5 stars, praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing friendship and discovery, while finding the series entertaining across its humor and family-friendly. Randy Myers of The Mercury News gave the series 3 out of 4 stars, called the setup simple yet efficient and found the series joyful and entertaining, stating it succeeds to celebrate friendship across the characters, while acknowledging the references to pop culture. Audience viewership According to Flix Patrol, Cars on the Road was the 7th most watched streaming series on Disney+ in the week of its release, as well as the 3rd and 9th most watched during its second and third week respectively. On Disney Junior's YouTube channel, all episodes have amassed about 85 million views with the most popular episodes being Trucks (32M), Salt Fever (18M) and B-Movie (8,7). Internationally, Disney Jr. Latinoamérica records 35 million views on all episodes, Disney Junior España tracks about 20,6 millions on the episodes as well as 20 millions on the compilation and Disney Junior Deutschland about 18,4 millions on all episodes combined. Additionally, the official music video for the song "Trucks" from the episode of the same name has received more than 94 million views on YouTube. Accolades Christopher Foreman, Elana Lederman, John Lockwood, Jae Jun Yi, Justin Ritter were nominated for the short "Road Rumblers" for the category Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production at the 50th Annie Awards. The series is nominated for Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program for Jason Brodkey and Serena Warner at the 2nd Children's and Family Emmy Awards. It is also nominated for Short Form Series with associate casting directors Natalie Lyon, Kevin Reher and Kate Hansen-Birnbaum at the 39th Artios Awards. ==References==