Set in a world populated entirely by anthropomorphic talking cars and other vehicles, it follows an overconfident, conceited rookie race car named Lightning McQueen (Wilson) who, on his way to the biggest race of his life, discovers in the rundown town of Radiator Springs when he gets stranded, where he learns humility ...

The cartoon depiction of Radiator Springs and Carburetor County is based on a composite of multiple landmarks in multiple states, from Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas to Peach Springs, Arizona and a bit beyond.

History. Radiator Springs was founded by a steam car named Stanley in 1909, and a statue of him was placed in front of the town's courthouse. Later, Stanley married Lizzie. After Stanley died, more people came to live in Radiator Springs, and the town grew.

Inspired by director John Lasseter's real-life cross-country road trip, the film still draws families and fans to iconic attractions featured (or riffed on) in the movie, including the remaining Wigwam Villages, trading posts, curiosity shops, and vintage filling stations.

The message in "Cars" is simplicity itself: Life was better in the old days, when it revolved around small towns where everybody knew each other, and around small highways like Route 66, where you made new friends, sometimes even between Flagstaff and Winona.

Relationships matter more than fame and success. Lightening McQueen, a rookie race car, competing in the famous “Piston Cup,” has had a single focus all his life: winning. But midway through the movie, he becomes painfully aware that he lacks friends.

Radiator Springs is likely in the eastern part of Arizona, while the the truck stop, they pass by would be in New Mexico. This means that Radiator Springs is likely a reference to Peach Springs, Arizona, where Route 66 follows the valley, and I-40 bypasses the town.

In the hallowed tradition of Disney's E-Ticket rides, Radiator Springs Racers delivers a grand-scale, gee-whiz, you-gotta-try-this-to-believe-it experience. Thrill Scale (0=Wimpy!, 10=Yikes!): 4.5. Radiator Springs Racers makes our list of Disneyland's top thrill rides.

Radiator Springs is a town featured in Cars where Lightning McQueen ends up after clumsily destroying the town's main road.

Once completed, the fill portion was turned on to introduce the coolant into the system. This process avoided entrained air preventing the system from being completed filled. The purpose of the hose spring was to prevent collapse during the vacuum portion of the fill cycle.

Much of the history of the movie "Cars" was inspired by memories of Angel Delgadillo, a road character and owner of a "Barber Shop" in Seligman, Arizona, who welcomed and served thousands of travelers during the heyday of the mythical route.

In Cars (2006), the main character Lightning McQueen learns an important lesson about humility and slowing down and enjoying life accompanied by great music, characters and story.

In this theory, the near-vestigial human body is placed within a specially-designed automobile that becomes the human's permanent carapace, a new physical body through which the human can perceive and interact with the world.

We should all take heed to what Pixar was telling us; slow down. Enjoy the inefficiencies, inconveniences, and detours you can live without, but choose to live with. It's not the message you would expect from a film whose climax is a stock car race.

It helps us understand the difference between how extroverts and introverts deal with changes in their circumstances or environment. Lightening McQueen is a stereotyped extrovert with an inflated ego to boot. As an extrovert he gets his energy from the energy of others.

Seligman, Arizona Much of the story is based on the recollections of barber Angel Delgadillo in the Route 66 town of Seligman, Arizona, where business withered soon after the opening of I-40.