The Top Cars from the Disney ‘Cars’ Movie Franchise
The ‘Cars’ film has inspiration from both racecars and various car brands including Porsche and Chevy.
Written by Serena Aburahma
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
The first Disney Cars movie, released in 2006, has since spawned two sequels and tons of merchandise. You get to see several
car makes
on display in beautiful 3D animation, and the stories actually have appeal for all ages. If other car-centric movies
have too much adrenaline
for you, Cars provides fun races while keeping the destruction relatively low.Many of the stars of this franchise are also based on real-life vehicles! Here are just a few of our favorites from the first film, inspired by
CarsForSale
.The ‘Cars’ movie stars got inspiration from Porsche
in the Cars movie both Lightning McQueen and his love interest Sally Carrera drew their designs from the Porsche 911. Sally seems to be the most faithful example, with the same body as the models from the 996 generation.
Sally isn't a professional racer herself, but she definitely has a good powertrain for it. In 2002, the Porsche 911 had a V6 with 320 horsepower on tap and a top speed of 177 mph.
Her appearance in the Cars movie also made an impact on Porsche's U.S. marketing, according to
Automotive News Europe
. Porsche has a much smaller marketing budget compared to American automakers, so it was a great opportunity for exposure. A Porsche spokesperson said that the movie probably quadrupled the automaker's U.S. audience base.Lightning McQueen's cab shape definitely gives us Porsche 911 energy. However, it's also clear that he has styling elements from both the Chevy Corvette and the Ford GT40.
The Hudson Hornet in the ‘Cars’ movie has a long racing history
In the Cars movie, the famous character Doc Hudson is both a doctor of Radiator springs and a retired racing star based on an
iconic 50s car
. Hudson was reportedly the first automaker on the stock car racing scene, and stock Hornets were driven by several NASCAR racers.The original 1951 Hudson Hornet came powered with the biggest straight-six engine offered at the time. It was capable of 145 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque, though experienced tuners could easily modify it for more power.
Another star of the Cars movie, Racer Strip Weathers, known as "The King" is also inspired by a classic racing car. His tall rear spoiler is a clear homage to
the Plymouth Superbird
, a 425-horsepower beast created specifically for NASCAR. It wasn't popular with consumers at the time, though one can sell on Hagerty
for well over $300,000 today!Radiator Springs is home to one stylish car
The colorful cast of the Cars movie includes Ramone,
a low-riding Chevy Impala
that frequently changes his paint color. He has six distinctive color schemes in the first movie alone, though his most popular shade is purple with red flame decals. He's also the owner of his own body shop where he paints other cars.
He most closely resembles the 1959 Chevy Impala, redesigned for the second generation with an all-new exterior. Impalas of this era had a wide variety of factory paint options and powertrain choices.
The V8 with two triple-carburetors was the most powerful, producing 350 horsepower. Some examples had several upscale interior options like cruise control, an electric clock, and two-toned upholstery.
What does auto insurance look like in the ‘Cars’ movie?
While State Farm did sponsor commercials for the first Cars movie, the characters don't reference insurance in the movie. Some have suggested that in a world where everyone is a car, auto insurance might actually be known as "life insurance".
We own our cars in the real world, so it's our job to get them a good insurance plan. When you sign up with
Jerry
, finding the best auto insurance is easier than ever. This super-app generates quotes from popular providers (both national and local) in less than a minute!
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