Lightning McQueen

Lightning McQueen, also known by his birthname Montgomery McQueen or his nickname Stickers, given by Sally, is the main character of the entire Cars series, appearing in nearly every installment except the Planes franchise. He is a stock car that competes in the Piston Cup Racing Series since 2005, where is was sponsored by Rust-eze, using the number 95, and won seven Piston Cup championships. In 2017, he became the trainer and crew chief of Cruz Ramirez for the Dinoco Piston Cup team for sometime. Then he continued racing.

He resides in Radiator Springs in Arizona, United States of America, where his racing headquarters is located. He is in a relationship with Sally Carrera.

Background
Towards the start of his racing career, McQueen raced under the sponsorship of Smell Swell Deodorizer. However, he was fired in favor of another young rookie racer named Sammy Smelter, whose poor racing fit the image of Smell Swell better, according to the representative who fired McQueen.

Mack, who had overheard McQueen's termination, approached the young hotshot and offered to take him to Boston to meet for a job opportunity with Rust-eze, who had been looking, with little success, for a new spokescar. During their trip, McQueen and Mack became fast friends. Upon their arrival in Boston, Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze offered a sponsorship to McQueen. Though he was initially hesitant due to the sponsor's humiliating demeanor, McQueen agreed as long as Mack could become his transporter.

McQueen's racing abilities eventually garnered the attention of the Piston Cup Racing Series, and he became a rookie in the championship's 2005 season.

Cars
In Cars, the film opens at the Motor Speedway of the South, where cocky and self-centered Lightning McQueen is competing in the Dinoco 400 for the title of the Piston Cup champion. After a three-way tie between him, seven-time champion Strip Weathers and consistent runner-up Chick Hicks, Chick makes a bet with McQueen, where the first one to reach the tie-breaker race at the Los Angeles International Speedway wins the Dinoco sponsorship. Desperate to win, McQueen rushes to Mack, who forces him to make an appearance at his sponsor's tent, which McQueen hates. Soon, the two are on the road, and McQueen urges Mack to drive through the night, without resting. A sleepy Mack is later harassed by a gang of delinquents, who accidentally open McQueen's trailer unknowingly releasing him..

Lightning wakes up in the middle of the highway and quickly tries to catch up with Mack. However, after mistaking a Peterbilt truck for him, McQueen figures his best option is to search for help on the Interstate. McQueen rushes past a sleeping police officer named Sheriff, who chases him through a nearby town. Scared, McQueen accidentally rips up the road with a statue of the town's founder, which ultimately lands him in the town's impound. When he wakes in the morning, he discovers he is in the deserted town of Radiator Springs, where the embarrassed residents sentence him to community service and make him fix the road by pulling a road paver named Bessie.

Persistent of making it to Los Angeles before Chick, Lightning first attempts to escape, but runs out of gas and is returned to the town, where he tries to fix the road quickly. The residents feel disrespected due to the rushed bumpy road, and Doc Hudson, the town's lawyer and doctor, challenges him to a road race, which Lightning loses, due to lack of familiarity with dirt tracks.

Though initially hesitant to affiliate himself with the townsfolk, Lightning ends up making friends with the residents, particularly the absent-minded Mater, and the beautiful attorney Sally Carrera, whom Lightning quickly gains a crush on. After learning of the history behind both the town and Doc Hudson, who was previously a famous Piston Cup dirt track racer, Lightning begins to marvel at Doc's skill and the certain racing tricks that Doc knows. After taking a drive with Sally, Lightning finds Doc out at Willy's Butte. Later, McQueen finishes the road, and while the townsfolk originally think he left without saying goodbyes, McQueen surprises the residents by arriving and asking for a new paint job and new tires. That night, while enjoying a "cruise" with the residents, the press find McQueen and take him away to the tie-breaker race.

At the race, McQueen is surprised to see his Radiator Springs friends have arrived to serve as his racing team and Doc as his crew chief, and with the help of his team, especially Guido, who performs the quickest pit stop in Piston Cup history, Lightning finds himself well ahead of Chick and The King. However, sick of constantly coming in second, Chick performs a PIT maneuver on Weathers, causing him to spin out and crash. When McQueen remembers Doc's words about winning, Lightning gives up his victory and instead decides to help Strip to the finish line so that Strip can finish his final race, much to the happiness of the fans. Though Chick technically won the race, he is ignored, and instead, fans congratulate McQueen. Lightning decides to permanently establish Radiator Springs as his hometown, and the publicity sparks great interest in the town.

Cars: The Video Game
In Cars: The Video Game, which takes place in 2006, one year after the events of Cars, Lightning McQueen appears as the central character of the game's story mode, as well as the car that the player takes control of throughout the majority of the game. In this game, McQueen finds himself at the beginning of a new Piston Cup season, where Mack asks McQueen to obtain some practice before the first race, and he turns to the Radiator Springs citizens for help. After a few races, Mack and McQueen travel to the first race of the season, where Chick, who Lightning previously spotted observing him practicing, greets him. Upon Lightning's victory, Chick begins to seek additional help to sabotage McQueen's chances.

After more practicing and another Piston Cup race, Lightning meets and challenges a gang of race cars from Queens, New York City, who later reveal themselves to be allies of Chick. Still not satisfied, Chick continues to search for help, and meets with the same gang of tuner cars who had messed with McQueen the year earlier. The four cars are hired to rob Mack of McQueen's goods while he is on the Interstate, but McQueen manages to obtain them again by stealing it all back from the cars on the highway, who are then captured and subsequently arrested. They reveal themselves to be under hire of Chick, who Lightning later confronts at the Smasherville International Speedway. There, Lightning declares a three-race "Radiator Springs Grand Prix" event to determine who is the better competitor, an event that is supported by the Piston Cup.

After defeating Chick in all three races, McQueen then manages to win the championship, and upon his return to Radiator Springs, his trophy is put with Doc's three trophies from his past inside of the clinic.

Lightning also appears as a playable character in the Arcade and Versus modes. He has relatively high statistics in comparison to other characters, and also has the most paint jobs out of all characters.

Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures
Lightning is the main character in Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures. In this game, Lightning must help the residents of Radiator Springs by assisting them with their daily jobs. There are ten additional paint jobs that can be unlocked for McQueen, each one obtained by the player beating their fastest time on each of the default ten minigames.

Mater and the Ghostlight
In Mater and the Ghostlight, McQueen is one of the many who fall victim to Mater's pranks. While talking to Sally at Flo's V8 Café, McQueen inspects a pile of cans in the shape of Mater, but once he gets closer, Mater bursts through the stack, scaring McQueen. Mater teases Lightning, claiming he looks as if he has seen the Ghostlight. Sheriff warns Mater not to joke about the Ghostlight, and everyone listens as Sheriff tells a story about the mysterious creature. When Sheriff finishes, everyone hurries to sleep, leaving Mater alone in the streets.

Mater returns home, paranoid about the Ghostlight. Once he reaches his garage, he discovers a blue light behind him, and Mater starts frantically driving around Radiator Springs. Unbeknownst to Mater, the light is actually just a lamp that McQueen and Guido placed on his tow hook as payback for his pranks.

Once Mater loses his breath, he slows down and realizes the light is merely a lamp. McQueen and the other residents tease him, before hurriedly heading to sleep once more.

Cars: Mater-National Championship
In Cars: Mater-National Championship, the follow-up to Cars: The Video Game, Lightning is again the player character throughout the majority of the game's story mode. In this game, Lightning meets a variety of new opponents, including Italian Giovanni, cocky German champion Otto von Fassenbottom, Swedish jokester Gudmund, English rally car Emma, and Japanese drift racer Koji, who have arrived in Radiator Springs to compete in the Mater-National series of events, hosted by McQueen and Mater. Lightning also meets British tourist Philip and Russian challenger Yuri, who are simply visiting the town to compete in the various races.

Lightning also appears as a playable character in the game's Arcade and Versus modes, again with high statistics in comparison to the other vehicles, and a large number of paint jobs, eight of which can be obtained by collecting them at various locations in the game's explorable hub in story mode.

Rescue Squad Mater
In Rescue Squad Mater, Lightning and Mater drive past Red while he is watering his flowers, which reminds Mater of his career as a fire truck. As soon as reports of endangered vehicles would come in, Mater would immediately race to the scene, and do whatever he could to save others from fires. Mater tells McQueen that even he was saved by Mater once - after being rescued from a burning building, Lightning was rushed to the hospital for treatment toward his burns, and was operated on by none other than Mater, who also happened to be a doctor.

When Lightning questions the authenticity of this tale, Mater's former nurse, Nurse GTO, drives by the pair and greets Mater, leaving Lightning in disbelief.

Mater the Greater
In Mater the Greater, Mater tells Lightning the story of how he was once a daredevil who performed a variety of dangerous stunts, including jumping over a wide group of rusty cars, jumping through a ring of fire, diving into a small kiddie pool, and hanging on to an airplane as it made lots of sudden movements. Mater's greatest stunt, however, was jumping an enormous crater called Carburetor Canyon, which Lightning also participated in. Lightning drove down a very long ramp while being propelled by a rocket strapped to his trunk, and despite coming close, he did not make it. Lightning objects and accuses Mater of telling a tall tale, until Lug and Nutty, Mater's assistants, drive by them.

El Materdor
In El Materdor, Lightning and Mater are strolling through the bulldozer pasture, which leads Mater into a story of his days as a matador. Mater would constantly put his life at risk for the entertainment of others, by battling bulldozers. When Lightning questions this, Mater tells Lightning he was there too, and easily attracted the bulldozers due to his red paint scheme. When Lightning objects, he is then chased by a group of bulldozers, who have somehow escaped from their pasture.

Tokyo Mater
In Tokyo Mater, after Sheriff begins pursuit of three hooligans who drift past the Radiator Springs residents at Flo's V8 Café, Mater tells everyone about his career as a drift racer. After towing a car to Tokyo, he is challenged to a drift race by Kabuto, and is subsequently modified to look more modern. During the race, Mater goes off-course and finds himself in a halfpipe, where cranes are lifting heavy objects. Suddenly, Lightning Dragon McQueen appears, and helps Mater navigate through the maze of objects and back onto course. Unlike in most other Cars Toons shorts, no evidence is provided to validate Mater's tale.

Unidentified Flying Mater
In Unidentified Flying Mater, Mater tells McQueen a story of how he met a UFO named Mator. However, Mator was captured by the government and studied, until Mater managed to break in and save him. When the two make their escape, Lightning joins them, but they are soon taken aboard a large UFO that is revealed to be Mator's mother. She drops them off in Radiator Springs, and Mator and his mother return home. As always, Lightning doubts this happened, but after McQueen leaves, Mater manages to fly again, just like how Mator taught him to.

Monster Truck Mater
In Monster Truck Mater, Mater's story this time is about his monster truck career; he was once a famous monster truck wrestler nicknamed "The Tormentor." While Mater fought many tough opponents, the biggest threat he faced was a giant construction vehicle named Dr. Frankenwagon's Monster. When Lightning curiously asks what happened, Mater tells him he was there as well, on a tag-team with Mater. The two managed to defeat the monster by flipping the ring over and on top of him.

Heavy Metal Mater
In Heavy Metal Mater, Mater tells Lightning a story of how he was once a popular heavy metal artist; after producing the hit "Dad Gum", Mater's band, titled Heavy Metal Mater, began to play live shows, with Lightning as the keyboardist. Right after Lightning objects, both of them look up to see a giant Mater balloon floating above them, the same one that Mater claimed would often be flown above the stage while they performed.

Moon Mater
In Moon Mater, Lightning plays a role in Mater's tale about how he became an astronaut and helped stranded agent Impala XIII, in which he is seen traveling down to the earth at incredible speeds, and eventually catches ablaze, before landing in the ocean. The rescue of the endangered astronaut makes the headlines, and Lightning, Mater, and Impala XIII are interviewed by newspapers and television shows. Despite McQueen's denial, Roger, Mater's shuttle, arrives and tells him he must go on another mission, and the two blast off into outer space, leaving Lightning in disbelief.

Mater Private Eye
In Mater Private Eye, Lt. McQueen and his assistants arrest Big D, after Mater discovers that he and his henchmen have been manufacturing counterfeit tires. As always, Lightning denies any truth in Mater's detective story, until Carmen, one of the cars Mater mentioned in his story, arrives and starts a conga dance, which Mater follows.

Air Mater
In Air Mater, Mater informs Lightning of his supposed relationship with popular air performers The Falcon Hawks, and how he filled in for one of the performers when his wing was damaged. However, during the performance, Mater's wings break, and he begins to fall. However, Lightning McQueen Hawk saves him, and subsequently assists him in the big finish, by throwing Mater up into the air, and then catching him and safely landing. As McQueen objects, Mater receives a recruitment call from the Falcon Hawks, and they arrive to pick him up.

Time Travel Mater
In Time Travel Mater, Mater travels back in time and finds himself face-to-face with Stanley, prior to Radiator Springs' foundation. Stanley asks him whether or not he would like to purchase a hubcap and, when Mater rejects the offer, Stanley decides to leave the oasis. Realizing what will happen if Stanley does not found Radiator Springs, Mater returns to the present to get Lightning, and the two go back to the past.

However, things do not go as planned - Lizzie begins to fall in love with Lightning, so the two have to make sure that Stanley and Lizzie meet and get married, in order to save the future from being rewritten. Lizzie and Stanley eventually marry, and Radiator Springs is successfully founded.

Hiccups
In Hiccups, Lightning acquires a case of the hiccups, and the others at Flo's V8 Café attempt to cure him. Guido suggests holding his breath, but Guido faints, and when Lightning starts to breathe in, he realizes the method was not successful. Luigi tries to scare the hiccups away, Sarge tries to order the hiccups away, and Sheriff tells Red to spray water into McQueen's mouth. However, the only method that works is Sally's, who simply kisses him.

Spinning
In Spinning, when Luigi orders Guido to spin a sign outside of the tire shop, Lightning and the other Radiator Springs residents and passersby notice his talents, and a large crowd forms.

The Radiator Springs 500½
In The Radiator Springs 500½, McQueen is dressed as Stanley for a "Stanley Days" event in Radiator Springs, marking the anniversary of when Stanley founded Radiator Springs. However, a bunch of off-road racers, led by Sandy Dunes, turn up, coming to challenge McQueen to a race. He accepts their challenge when they make numerous insults about Stanley. At one point in the race, Sandy mistakes Mater's direction of going left at a herd of tractors for going right, so McQueen and all his opponents take the right path. Unaware that they went the wrong way, they all encounter a series of bumpy hills, a cactus patch, a cavern full of tailpipes, and a spooky forest full of corpses that scare them all the way back to Radiator Springs.

The World of Cars Online
In The World of Cars Online, Lightning could often be found outside of his racing headquarters, allowing players to shop inside of the store. He was also a playable character in the Lightning Storm McQueen minigame, in which he, with the help of Luke Pettlework, would fight against the Zurg Train.

Cars: Race-O-Rama
In Cars: Race-O-Rama, Lightning is helping out at the Doc Hudson Racing Academy, and is racing against them in a competition at Radiator Springs Speedway. After Lightning sees how the green racers are behaving, he confronts them, only to find out that they are being trained by none other than Chick Hicks. As the story continues on, Lightning meets more of Chick's goons, who he befriends after they turn on Chick and apologize for their rude behavior.

In arcade mode, Lightning is unlocked as a playable character from the start of the game. Additionally, various other versions of Lightning can be unlocked, including his "beach racer" attire and his "off-road racer" attire.

Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales: The Video Game
In Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales: The Video Game, Lightning appears in all of the sets of minigames. Notably, in the Mater the Greater levels, he suddenly appears up in the air, when the player is about to dive into a small paddling pool. Unlike in the short, he does not go across Carburetor Canyon, but like that, he does not make it into the pool.

Cars 2
In Cars 2, the direct sequel to Cars, Lightning McQueen returns, but as the deuteragonist. In the film, having won his fourth Piston Cup, McQueen comes back to Radiator Springs to take a well-long break and spend the whole summer doing tons of activities with Mater. After just one day full of crazy activities, McQueen decides to just have a date with Sally for the evening, though Mater volunteers to be their waiter at the Wheel Well Motel. While fetching their drinks, Mater finds formula racer Francesco Bernoulli interviewed on the Mel Dorado Show bragging about being faster than McQueen any day, and calls in to the show to have a talk with Francesco. McQueen catches eye, and upon hearing Francesco make insults about Mater himself, even learning from Sally that she also likes Francesco for his open wheels, takes over the call to talk things out with Francesco. Miles Axlerod, an oil billionaire who happened to be on the show too, invites McQueen to take part in his World Grand Prix competition, alongside Francesco, in order to promote his new renewable fuel, allinol, to the entire world, and McQueen gladly agrees. Also, amidst advice from Sally, he decides to take Mater along, having not brought him to any of his races, and make him his crew chief, now that Doc had passed away.

In preparation, Ramone gives Lightning a fancy new paint job and spoiler, and Lightning, Mater, Luigi, Guido, Sarge, and Fillmore set off for Tokyo, which is where the welcome party is being hosted, as well as the first race. On the journey, McQueen and Mater are enjoying their time together: watching a game show on their plane's television, amazed by Tokyo's neon signs, and attending a karate show. At the opening ceremony, McQueen meets up with fellow racers Lewis Hamilton and Jeff Gorvette, but he soon notices that Mater has been acting the same since living in Radiator Springs, and tries to explain that he should change his behavior so to get used to all the different things outside Radiator Springs. However, Mater does not completely understand, deciding to help McQueen by introducing him to Italian racer Francesco Bernoulli. Although reluctant by this, McQueen is forced to mention to Francesco that it is an honor for them to meet. They both agree to have a toast, but both of them make the same dedication of their own win in the initial race to Sally. Lightning is later asked to take the stage with Axlerod, but the interview is interrupted when Mater, who has just consumed a high amount of wasabi, bursts onto the stage, and drinks water from the display. Embarrassed, Mater is surprised to find out that he has leaked oil, and quickly hurries to the bathroom to clean up. However, an American secret agent who is being assaulted places his tracking beacon onto Mater. British agent Holley Shiftwell meets Mater, and he thinks that she is asking him out on a date.

Moments before the first race begins, McQueen makes his usual preparations, closing his eyes and talking to himself about keeping focus, only for Francesco to immediately mock him by making the same preparations. Annoyed, McQueen once again comments about his goal to beat Francesco. As the race begins, McQueen makes his way up the field, getting up to second place and behind Francesco. However, McQueen is not able to get past Francesco until they come up to the dirt section, where Mater, who is working as McQueen's crew chief, gives him the advice of using the same trick Doc had taught him. With Francesco struggling to drive on the dirt, McQueen makes an easy pass at the following chicane and takes the lead. However, drama occurs as a couple of the racecars flame out, leaving fans wondering if Allinol is responsible for the accidents. Next, McQueen begins hearing random words from Mater through his team radio, unaware that Mater is actually talking to someone else. Still being confused by Mater's words, McQueen moves to the outside of the loop up to Rainbow Bridge, enabling Francesco to snatch the lead. Shocked by what happened, McQueen goes after Francesco and goes side-by-side with him as they head towards the finish line. However, Francesco is able to cross the finish line first, while McQueen suddenly spins out and finishes second.

Feeling disappointed about the race results, McQueen is left wondering why this all happened, as Francesco brags during the podium interview about making a move whenever someone makes a mistake. Just then, McQueen notices Mater driving to the pits, and when no one is looking, he drives out of the podium interview and meets up with Mater, asking him why he was talking nonsense throughout the race. Mater explains that he had been away from the track because he heard a woman's voice talking to him out of nowhere and directing him through the streets, where he had seen a couple of cars involved in a fight and using flame-throwers. McQueen becomes mad, telling Mater that it is all his fault for making him fail the race and that he should not have brought him along so he could spend time imagining a girlfriend and watching people using flame-throwers in fights. Realizing what McQueen meant, Mater tries to make up by suggesting to talk to someone about what happened, but McQueen is growling, berating poor Mater by saying that he wouldn't need his help from him at all. poor Mater sadly gulped, and decides to return home, and heads to the Tokyo airport (unbeknownst to McQueen and his team). However, at the airport, Finn McMissile, who thinks Mater is a spy, leads him away from the line and introduces himself. However, two lemons named Grem and Acer, who are on the lookout for McMissile, spot him, and the two make an escape on Siddeley, Finn's plane.

Meanwhile, Team McQueen finds a note from Mater saying that he has decided to head back home following his argument with McQueen, not wanting to be responsible ever again for making him losing any future races. However, McQueen begins to feel down, as he did not mean for Mater to leave. Despite being relieved that he would know Mater would be safe being in Radiator Springs, McQueen still feels down, thinking that he should not have been too hard on him. Arriving in Italy, McQueen and his team come across Luigi and Guido's old hometown, Carsoli, where the latter two are proud to be reunited with Uncle and Mama Topolino. The whole village hosts a celebration of Luigi and Guido's return, but Uncle Topolino begins to notice how down McQueen is. Having been told the whole thing by Luigi, Uncle Topolino explains to McQueen that everyone, even best friends, get into fights, as he remembers Luigi and Guido fighting all the time when they used to live with him.

Meanwhile, many of the fans of the World Grand Prix are still wondering if Allinol is safe, leading to Axlerod telling them that the fuel has been examined and is proven to be safe, leaving the second race to remain, taking place in Porto Corsa. However, Team McQueen begins to notice that McQueen feels sad. Fillmore advises him not to worry about his fuel, but McQueen admits that he is actually missing Mater. Furthermore, he gets insulted by Francesco saying that he is glad to be at home with his mother and fans. As the race goes ahead, Francesco soars into the lead as McQueen follows, trying to make numerous moves such as at the town's hairpin. On the final lap, McQueen temporarily leads, but as they approach the finish line, he and Francesco begin fighting for the lead, ending with McQueen crossing the finish line just ahead of Francesco. With this, McQueen celebrates his victory, but it immediately ends as numerous ambulances rush past, making McQueen and Francesco notice on the television screen that the other racecars have involved a large crash, created by Grem and Acer's electromagnetic pulse camera, which blows their engines. This leads to everyone now completely concerned about its safety, which makes Axlerod decide that the last race in London will still be held, but no longer to be run on Allinol.

McQueen, however, feels that it is impossible for something like that to occur, furthermore declaring that he will be using Allinol for the final race. Meanwhile, Mater, who has infiltrated the Lemons' meeting, watches in horror as they pick their next target, McQueen. Revealing himself, Mater uses his spy tools to escape. Soon, as a press liaison is leading him to the press, McQueen starts to hear Mater's voice from somewhere in the crowd. Taking another look, he sees a flash of Mater's roof in the distance, while the photographers try to get his attention. Trying to get closer, McQueen moves through the crowd, as the press liaison calls out to come back. However, as all the photographers finally move out of the way, McQueen instead finds a blue tow truck known as Ivan, saying that it was him who called out. As the press liaison takes him away, McQueen starts to get confused, pretty sure that he saw and heard Mater in the crowd. Before heading to London, McQueen contacts Radiator Springs so to talk to Mater, but he finds out that Mater had not been there at all. As he comes to his pit stall, he finds Sally and the rest of his friends present, having heard about what happened. While Sarge leaves with Sheriff to search for Mater, the rest of the townsfolk stay behind to assist McQueen in the race. However, still feeling concerned about Mater, McQueen is unsure about if he can keep his focus on the race, but Axlerod comes to thank him for his decision to use Allinol, encouraging him to prove to the world that they had been wrong about it being unsafe. Plus, Sally advises him to do the race for Mater.

As the race begins, Francesco gets into the lead as they head up to the Victoria Memorial, but after they go through Admiralty Arch, McQueen snatches the lead. As McQueen soon comes in for his pit stop, he is glad to find Mater already there. However, in a panic, Mater drives onto the racetrack, ordering McQueen to keep away from him. Misunderstanding, McQueen chases after Mater, trying to tell him that what he said before no longer matters. Still panicking, Mater yells out that "he's the bomb", making McQueen believe that he is saying he is excellent. Again, Mater yells out to keep away, but McQueen refuses to listen, not wanting to lose Mater again, and grabs onto his tow hook, which causes Mater to activate a pair of rocket jets, making the two friends zoom along the track's straight, past a shocked Francesco, and go off the circuit at the following corner, zooming through the streets of London. However, McQueen declines Mater's request to let go, still not understanding what is going on.

As the two friends finally screech to a halt, British secret agents Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell arrive, convincing McQueen that some thugs had planted a bomb on Mater so that they could try and kill them both, all because of McQueen's decision to use Allinol in the race. McQueen is left wondering who would do that to Mater, to which Finn brings in a captive Professor Zündapp, who angrily questions about his electromagnetic pulse generator not working right. McQueen is now left completely shocked by the fact that Zündapp had been having those same thugs try to kill him with the emitter when it was supposed to come into contact with allinol, only that he did not explode when the plan was being performed. Finn demands answers from Zündapp about how to deactivate the bomb, and as the bomb begins to tick, Zündapp reveals that the only way to turn it off is to get a voice command from the person who turned it on in the first place. To make matters worse, the thugs, who reveal themselves as lemons, block any chance of McQueen, Mater, Finn, and Holley escaping, but they are soon taken out by McQueen and Mater's friends. Sarge arrives with the British Military who presumably take the villains away.

With the lemons arrested, everyone tries to figure out a way to get rid of the bomb. Thinking of only one option, Guido makes an attempt to unfasten the bolts, but his wheel gun would not fit. Then, Mater figures out who had put the bomb on, but he does not reveal it straight away, worried that no one will believe him, but McQueen encourages him, telling him to just be his regular self and that anyone not believing him should instead change themselves, not Mater himself. With no time to lose, Mater grabs McQueen and heads off to Buckingham Palace, where Axlerod is waiting with the Queen of England. With the Queen's bodyguards preventing Mater from getting any closer, Mater explains to them, McQueen, Finn and Holley that Axlerod is the one who activated the bomb, remembering that the bomb is attached with the same bolts used on an old engine shown on a photo that Finn and Holley had got, also that old engines contain oil. Axlerod, however, tries to tell everyone that none of this is true, but Mater keeps on talking, saying that Axlerod is the leader of Professor Zündapp and the lemons, trying to make the world dismiss alternative fuel and buy regular oil from a secret oil reserve, because they had been laughed at for their entire lives. As the bomb gets closer to detonation, everyone braces themselves, while Axlerod tries to take Mater's comments as lies, but as he is encountered by Mater, he is forced to make a voice command, which successfully turns off the bomb, and proves that Mater was right about everything.

To congratulate his bravery, the Queen makes Mater a knight, which also makes him as popular as his best friend McQueen. As they arrive back in Radiator Springs, Mater tells McQueen and their friends about how he met Finn and Holley and helped them to learn information about Professor Zündapp and the lemons. Just then, Finn and Holley arrive, paying Mater and his friends a visit. McQueen is also given the time to ask how come he did not explode when the lemons were using their EMP emitter on him in London, but Finn and Holley point out that they do not know the reason, but also found out that allinol was just gasoline upgraded by Axlerod to blow up when coming into contact with an electromagnetic pulse. McQueen then begins to realize that Fillmore had told him back in Italy that allinol was safe, and everyone assumes that something had been done to McQueen's supply of Allinol before the race. Fillmore does note that before the race, McQueen's supply was replaced by his own organic fuel, but that Sarge actually did it, not Fillmore.

Later, McQueen invites all of the World Grand Prix racers to compete in Radiator Springs' unofficial Grand Prix, as a way to treat them to a great race, even knowing that thanks to the fate of the World Grand Prix, still no one knows who is the fastest in the world. Before lining up on the grid, McQueen has Francesco meet Sally, who is honored by Francesco's comment about McQueen being very lucky to be racing, especially when racing against his rivals. Not long before the race, McQueen adds to Sally to wish him luck, to which Sally knows he will be lucky enough to win. This time, McQueen and Francesco are calmer towards each other, both having grins as they battle for the lead, while the other racers are enjoying it. Not long after, Mater joins in, having been given his rocket jets by Finn and Holley, and he and McQueen happily race each other to the end of the Radiator Springs Grand Prix, as Finn and Holley leave for their next mission.

Cars 2: The Video Game
In Cars 2: The Video Game, Lightning is a playable character, and is one of the ten characters unlocked from the beginning the game. He also has two other skins, Carbon Fiber Lightning, which can be unlocked by earning the "Agent - Third Class" crest, and Radiator Lightning, which can be unlocked by earning the "Runway Pancake" crest. Additionally, Lightning has two more downloadable costumes that can be purchased from the Xbox or PlayStation stores; Dragon Lightning and Daredevil Lightning.

Kinect Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure
In Kinect Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure, Lightning is an unlockable playable character, that can be unlocked by obtaining all four Buddy Coins that are hidden in the three Cars levels.

He also appears in the first Cars level, Fancy Drivin', where he is looking for a new car for his racing team, which is the player, who must compete in various challenges, including the Tow Mater Fancy Drivin' Challenge, in which the player follows Mater throughout his tricky course. Impressed with the player's performance, Lightning accepts the player on his team, and the level is completed.

Disney Infinity
In Disney Infinity, Lightning is one of the four playable characters from the Cars franchise, and his figure can be obtained with Holley Shiftwell's in the Cars Play Set Pack. Like the other characters, Lightning possesses all capabilities that a non-car character has while driving inside of a ground vehicle, including accelerating, braking, reversing, drifting, and boosting, though all Cars characters have one more boost segment than ground vehicles do, for a grand total of four. He can also tow other players with a tow hook. If attempting to tow a non-car character, that character will ride on a small wagon behind Lightning.

Lightning's packs and tools consist of various weapons, which are the same ones that are used during battle races, including Machine Guns, Missile Launchers, and more.

In the Cars Play Set, Lightning's toy chests will unlock the Lightning McQueen Paint Job, as well as three random toys pertaining to Cars, including cast members, set pieces, skies, and more, all of which can be used in the Toy Box. Lightning's unique adventure is Lightning's Collector Course, in which Lightning must navigate through a large stunt course, while obtaining a set amount of collectibles, which changes with each difficulty level, in the given time limit.

Planes: Fire & Rescue
In Planes: Fire & Rescue, while he does not make a physical appearance, an image of Lightning can be seen on the sports-related newspaper that Dusty and his friends are looking at. This image is actually the same promotional artwork that was released of Lightning in his Cars 2 attire.

Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition
In Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition, Lightning returns alongside all other Disney Infinity characters from the first title, though he has not received any major changes, apart from receiving four skill trees, which feature abilities that can be upgraded to be improved. Additionally, Lightning can now be leveled up to level 20, as opposed to level 15, as in the previous game.

To obtain the Lightning McQueen Paint Job, Fillmore, Flo, Ramone, and The Radiator Cap toys, the player must simply take ownership of Lightning for the first time.

Cars: Fast as Lightning
In Cars: Fast as Lightning, Lightning is the final unlockable playable character, though two races must be completed while playing as him in the tutorial of the game. When he is unlocked, Lightning's Pit and the Doc Hudson Statue will be unlocked for use on tracks and in town.

Prior to being unlocked, Lightning will join Mater and Lizzie in giving the player missions to complete. In contrast to Mater's, which revolve primarily around town-related tasks, Lightning's revolve around race-related tasks, such as completing a set amount of tricks in races, or building a certain amount of objects on a character's race track.

Disney Infinity: 3.0 Edition
In Disney Infinity: 3.0 Edition, Lightning makes another appearance as a playable character, and has received no noticeable changes from his previous appearance in Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition. When the player takes ownership of Lightning for the first time, the Lightning McQueen Paint Job will be unlocked, along with the Fillmore, Flo, Ramone, and The Radiator Cap toys.

Cars 3
In Cars 3, Lightning McQueen returns as the protagonist.

By Cars 3, Lightning has been racing in the Piston Cup for over 10 years. He has struck up friendships with fellow racers Cal Weathers - who is now racing for Dinoco with his uncle Strip "The King" Weathers as his crew chief - and Bobby Swift. Tex Dinoco would still like McQueen to race for him, even courting him within earshot of Cal. During the season, a newcomer named Jackson Storm seemingly comes out of nowhere and wins. McQueen later congratulates him only for Storm to state it was an honor to "finally beat [him]", later telling his crew that he "struck a nerve", showing that he likes to use emotional manipulation to get into his opponents' heads. Also, Storm uses the latest technology to train, making him a highly-skilled precision racer.

The season goes on with Jackson continuing to rack up wins, and more advanced, rookie racers begin supplanting the older generation. Cal chooses to retire, telling McQueen how much he valued their friendship. Bobby is fired by his sponsor and replaced with Daniel Swervez. On the next race, McQueen gets increasingly desperate to win, but fortunately Guido is still fast at pit stops and gets him back out, with Sally and Mater cheering him on. Storm continues to mock him on the track, passing him. Swervez and Chase Racelott, another next-gen racer, also pass McQueen. Lightning pushes himself as hard as he can, but this causes his right rear tire to blow out, his overworked engine finally giving out, and he loses control. Lightning slams into the track's outside wall at the exit of turn four, is sent airborne, and he suffers a horrible rollover crash, leaving him critically injured, knocked out, and barely alive on the track's apron at the entrance of turn one. Sally, Mater, Guido and Luigi go out to see if he's okay while emergency responders check on him.

Four months later, McQueen has recovered and is back in Radiator Springs. He's in Doc's old garage watching footage of the crash that ended his career. Sally then checks on him. Lightning doesn't want to end up like Doc who was forced to retire. Sally tells him not to fear failure, reminding him that he has a chance. She resorts to some reverse psychology to get him going. McQueen tells all his friends he intends to keep racing. After Ramone re-paints McQueen in his original racing color scheme, Mack takes him, Guido and Luigi to the new Rust-eze Racing Center. He's surprised to learn that Dusty and Rusty sold Rust-eze to billionaire Sterling, who appears to be a big fan. He has McQueen fitted with a new suit which tracks his speed and vital signs. Sterling shows off all the high-tech training equipment, including the most advanced simulator available.McQueen is introduced to Cruz Ramirez, a friendly and enthusiastic trainer who first riles McQueen up by saying he's an impostor, but this was quickly shown as a motivational tactic. Cruz trains McQueen, who's itching to try the simulator. Unfortunately, it goes badly when McQueen rams into various objects, catches on fire, flies off the restraints and crashes into the screen. Sterling then calls him into his office, showing him lots of merchandise with his likeness. McQueen realizes that Sterling doesn't want him racing anymore, so he makes a wager: if McQueen wins his next race, he retires whenever he wants; if not, he'll sell all the merchandise he can. McQueen, Guido, Luigi and Mack head to Fireball Beach to train, with Cruz following them to help.Cruz will run alongside him using her digital assistant Hamilton to gauge his top speed, but will have to stay very close. This proves easier said than done since Cruz doesn't know how to race on sand. It takes until sunset to get it right. McQueen's top speed is gauged at 198 mph, which is still slower than Storm. He decides to head to Thunder Hollow which has a dirt track, but when Luigi gets worried about the press finding him there, Mack assures him he can give McQueen a disguise.

When they get there, McQueen is covered in mud to mask his appearance, going by the name Chester Whipplefilter. They realize too late that it's a Demolition Derby, and Cruz now has to take part too. The champion is a monster school bus named Miss Fritter. Both McQueen and Cruz barely avoid getting hit, but McQueen has to protect Cruz from Fritter. Cruz wins the derby, but accidentally trips Mr. Drippy over and inadvertently washes McQueen off, blowing his cover.

An angry McQueen lashes out at Cruz in Mack's trailer, complaining that he spent the entire day having to take care of her. He states that he has to win his next race to continue in the sport, saying she wouldn't understand since she's not a racer. At the end of his rant, McQueen slams his front tire againt the trailer wall hard enough to knock over Cruz's trophy and break it. Feeling hurt by McQueen's words and actions, Cruz orders Mack to pull over and angrily snaps back at Lightning. She never wanted to be a trainer, but a racer like him. She got to her first race, but felt she didn't belong and left. Lightning admits - at Cruz's urging - that he never felt he didn't belong. She wishes she knew what that felt like. Cruz drives off on her own.

Mack spends the night sleeping under a bridge while McQueen watches TV. Footage of the demolition derby plays. Also, analyst Natalie Certain reports that Storm has set a new record for fastest lap, making him the heavy favorite at 95.2%. McQueen calls Mater who fortunately was still awake. Mater initially can't come up with good advice until McQueen says he wishes he could talk to Doc again. Mater makes an off-handed comment that the car who taught Doc would know more about racing than him. With that, McQueen catches up to Cruz and convinces her to come with him to Doc's hometown of Thomasville.

Once arriving, Lightning and Cruz get a look at the dirt track where Doc used to race. They meet Doc's mentor Smokey, who takes them to a bar with fellow racing legends River Scott, Junior Johnson, and Louise Nash. McQueen tells Smokey that he wishes he could've seen Doc during his racing days when he was at his happiest. Smokey tells McQueen that he never heard from Doc after he moved to Radiator Springs, but one day he started getting letters from him. Smokey shows McQueen a wall with pictures of McQueen and Doc, revealing that coaching Lightning was the happiest time of his life. Smokey tells him he can't be faster than Storm, but he can be smarter than him, as evidenced by making it through the derby without a scratch.

Since McQueen missed the qualifiers, he'll have to start from behind and Jackson will start in front. Cruz has a spoiler installed and black tape is used to make her resemble Storm so she can be a "sparring partner" for McQueen. The two will race on the speedway with the latter only having three laps to overtake her, but he can't. They use other techniques to train: dodging thrown bales of hay and other obstacles, maneuvering through a tractor stampede, and driving through a forest at night without their headlights on. The two get the hang of the exercises. While night driving, McQueen's suit gets torn off by the trees, giving him back his original racing colors.

During this, Lightning and Cruz watch old footage of Doc's races. They see that he used the drafting technique to gain speed and see him use the barricade to flip over another car who tried to ram him into the wall. On their final day of training, McQueen manages to pull ahead on the speedway, but Cruz still wins. They have to head to Florida for the race.

While Sheriff, Lizzie, and Red stayed behind, the rest of Radiator Springs arrived in Florida to cheer McQueen on, with Smokey acting as his crew chief. McQueen starts out last but gains ground. Sterling orders Cruz to leave. This doesn't sit well with McQueen, who hears the conversation, and wants her back. After a wreck occurs, Lightning makes the call that Cruz will finish the race for him. She is quickly prepared by Ramone, Luigi, and Guido while Mater keeps Sterling away. With the #95, racing tires, and a spoiler, Cruz officially joins the race. Through Smokey, McQueen relays advice to her but takes over as her crew chief. Cruz puts all the training to great use and makes it near the top. While Storm is in first, he purposely falls back to second place as Cruz makes it to third place. He resorts to psychological warfare against her but McQueen tells her Jackson sees her as a threat or he would not be using such tactics. The final lap comes. Cruz is right behind Jackson who cannot shake her. Storm rams her into the wall but she uses Doc's flipping move to escape and take the lead. Cruz wins the race to the delight of the crowd.

Everyone congratulates her on the win. As Lightning is about to accept his fate as Sterling's product, he checks the scoreboard to see that he won the race alongside Cruz. At the end, McQueen decides to hold a friendly exhibition race with Cruz for all of their friends, with McQueen sporting Doc's racing number and color, continuing Doc's legacy.

Cars 3: Driven to Win
Lightning is one of six playable characters, the other five being Cruz Ramirez, Mater, Sally, Ramone, and Guido, who are available from the start in Cars 3: Driven to Win. His "fabulous" paint job was also made available in a free update, which was released to coincide with the cinematic release of Cars 3.

Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool
In Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool, McQueen and Cruz Ramirez watch a commercial for Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool. Later after watching the commercial, McQueen notices one of his trophies toppled and broke, explaining to Cruz that going to Miss Fritter's school program is too dangerous to attend.

Pixar Popcorn
In Unparalleled Parking, McQueen plays a parking game with his friends. He is the first one to pass it as well.

In Dancing with the Cars, McQueen and Sally come to Flo's café and find themselves dancing with their friends.

Other appearances
As the main character of the Cars series, Lightning appears in nearly every book, comic, and magazine ever written, most of which he has a lead role in.

Cars Land
A model based on Lightning McQueen makes two different appearance in Cars Land. In one, he is driving through Radiator Springs, talking with the guests. There, he appeared in his Cars 2 attire until 2017 when he was changed to his Cars 3 attire.

Lightning's other appearance is in the Radiator Springs Racers attraction. In the ride, after the guests escape Frank, Lightning and Sally greet them and direct them towards either Luigi's Casa Della Tires for new tires or to Ramone's House of Body Art for a new paint job. After the race, he and Mater congratulate the guests on their performance and state that "you can't win if you don't race!", among other phrases.

Physical description
Lightning's model is a hand-built racing car, built for racing purposes specifically. He is a mix of a stock car and a more curvaceous Le Mans endurance racer. He has modifications like a red spoiler, and for a short time did not have headlights, only stickers. He has coil-over shocks with tubular A arm front suspension, a solid axle rear end and vented disc brakes at all four wheels. He also has air flaps on his roof to prevent flipping. His engine is a V-8, having a horsepower of 750. In Cars 2, his 0-60 speed is 3.2 seconds, and his top speed is 200 mph. In Cars 3, his 0-60 speed is four seconds, and his top speed is 198 mph, but this is likely just because his speed was recorded on sand. On asphalt, his top speed is more likely a full 200 MPH.

Many fans claim that he either resembles a Dodge Viper, Ford GT40 or a tuned Mazda MX5. McQueen's appearance bears very little resemblance to modern NASCAR sedans. He instead resembles a C6 Corvette, but using NASCAR technology.

In Cars, Lightning wears his Piston Cup paint scheme. He is painted red, with an orange and yellow lightning bolt design on his doors, along with the number "95" and a variety of sponsor stickers. He has the Rust-eze logo on his hood, as well as on his spoiler and rear fenders. On his yellow rear bumper is the inscription "Medicated Ointment". In Radiator Springs, McQueen is repainted to maroon with a white oval on his doors and a little, yellow lightning bolt on it, similar to a late 1950s era Corvette's one. His spoiler, logos and number were also removed. Before the final race, he regains his spoiler and is repainted back to his Piston Cup paint job. In the epilogue scene and credits of Cars, Lightning is again shown in the maroon and white paint job, but now with the number 95 painted on his doors and roof, surrounded by a white circle, and he also has Rust-eze logos and some stickers, though his rear bumper now lacks any logos. In Cars Toons, he continues to use it on daily basis, but according to Cars 3 flashbacks, McQueen often switches this paint job to the original Piston Cup one.

At the beginning of Cars 2, Lightning is shown in his old Piston Cup design; he is no longer painted maroon, but instead in his old red color that was used for his first paint job. On his doors, there is a modified lightning silhouette, painted in deeper red, the yellow lightning bolt from the white oval is bigger and now a big "95" placed on it. The Hudson Hornet Piston Cup logo is added to his doors, also there were only three sponsor stickers. Later in the film, Lightning receives an entirely new design, which brings back his original lightning bolt pattern while changing it to look more like a flame, the Rust-eze logos are replaced with the Piston Cup emblem, and the "WGP 95" stickers are added on the doors. He gets a new spoiler with World Grand Prix logo on top and flames on sides, on his new door skirts is now written "WORLD GRAND PRIX allinol" and on the rear bumper is written "WGP 95 POWERED BY allinol". His headlight stickers were replaced by actual headlights. In the final scene of Cars 2 seen, that all his World Grand Prix stickers, except "WGP 95" and on rear is now seen a sticker, saying "Ka-Ciao, Francesco". During Cars Toons he has a "transition" paint job, Lightning's spoiler now has a Radiator Springs logo on top, Francesco sticker was replaced by Hudson Hornet Piston Cup logo, on his rear bumper is now seen his signature and his bolt, sponsor stickers were regained at the place of "WGP 95". The paint job is called "RS Team McQueen", it's also his main paint job in Cars: Fast as Lightning.

McQueen's design received another update in Cars 3, now it mostly resemble the original one, but with rebranded Piston Cup and Rust-eze logos. His old spoiler was regained, the number 95 is now seen under his left headlight, on his hood is now seen a lightning bolt with Rusteze logo. After his crash McQueen seen primer with red "95" on his doors. When Lightning was brought to Rust-eze Racing Center, Ramone repainted McQueen back into 2016 Piston Cup paint job, but without lightning bolt on hoodm old Rust-eze logos and with the WGP-like flaming bolt. At the Rust-eze Racing Center he receives an electronic suit heat-shrunk onto him with its own decal scheme. The yellow lightning bolt design with Rust-eze ghost pattern on his doors now extends all the way to his rear fender, and a large Rust-eze logos are now present on his rear end, spoiler and hood, and the sponsor stickers disappeared somewhat resembling the paintjobs of the Next-Gens minus the sponsor logos. However, the suit is accidentally torn to shreds during training at Thomasville and Lightning competed in next race in Ramone's paint job. When McQueen becomes Cruz Ramirez' crew chief, he receives entirely new paint job, inspired by the Fabulous Hudson Hornet's appearance. Now he is painted blue, on his roof seen four yellow 95 numbers and one on his rear fenders, old yellow Rust-eze wordmarks on his hood and spoiler, instead of lightning bolt on his doors is now written "Fabulous McQueen". The Hudson Hornet logo is replaces the Rust-eze logo on the rear and his rear bumper reads "95 For Doc Hudson", the stickers and 95 under his left headlight was removed.

Personality and traits
Lightning is kind, positive, courageous and brave, and enjoys having fun and spending time with his friends, especially Mater. Prior to his arrival in Radiator Springs, Lightning was cocky and self-centered, only caring about two things: winning and the pride that comes with it. At the time, Lightning had no friends besides Mack and Harv, leaving him with limited social skills. Regardless, he was still a popular name in the racing world, and was constantly being interviewed by the Press and admired by fans, much to his liking. When two fangirls drove up to him, they were taken away by security, after Lightning simply said "I love being me." Though the Radiator Springs residents were not very fond of him at first, they later befriended Lightning, and McQueen learned why it is important to have good friends. Lightning established Radiator Springs as his home base, and the wide publicity sparked interest in the town, which was soon put back on the map.

Lightning's best friend is Mater, whom he met when he awoke in the Impound. While Lightning did not like Mater at first, he began to like him after he took Lightning tractor tipping in the middle of the night. Mater and McQueen do several things together, including going tractor tipping regularly, driving backwards, driving along the Ornament Valley railroad tracks without tire treads, and occasionally racing each other. However, the two have their fair share of fights; most notably when Mater accidentally threw Lightning off track during the first race of the World Grand Prix, due to Lightning mistaking his banter with Holley Shiftwell for advice. Angry, Lightning yells at Mater and tells him he neither needs or wants his help anymore. Saddened by this, Mater decides to return home to avoid making Lighting lose another race and apologizes to Lighting through a note. However, at the end of the film, Lightning and Mater make up, and together they expose Miles Axlerod and his plan.

Lightning's primary interest when he is not spending quiet time with his friends is racing. As a famous Piston Cup race car himself, Lightning has a remarkable talent for it, and enjoys practicing and competing in road races whenever he is not out on the Piston Cup track. McQueen has many formidable opponents; the many inhabitants of Radiator Springs, a group of British and Mexican rivals, various allies of Chick Hicks, international superstars, and other Piston Cup racers, notably Chick Hicks and, for a short time, The King. Lightning's obsession with victory and fame came to a close once he remembered the words of his mentor, Doc Hudson: "It's just an empty cup." Lightning gave up his win at the tie-breaker race to help The King finish his last race. Lightning still enjoys spending quiet time with his friends, especially Sally Carrera, his girlfriend. Some of their favorite activities are taking a drive through the beautiful scenery of Tailfin Pass, and enjoying dates at the Wheel Well Motel and other locations in Carburetor County.

Powers and abilities
As a world-famous race car, Lightning is incredibly gifted, and can perform a variety of stunts to assist him in winning his races. In terms of statistics, Lightning is usually portrayed with having outstanding acceleration, speed, handling, stability, agility, and boost, the latter of which he learned from his friend Fillmore, and in Cars: The Video Game and Cars: Mater-National Championship, he has three boost tanks, which he has earned throughout his time in Radiator Springs.

Lightning can also tilt, which allows him to take turns sharper, as well as squeeze by opponents, which he once did in a Piston Cup race, where he used the wall to squeeze through the space between it and another racer. He can also jump, which allows him to hop over obstacles and other cars. McQueen is a very talented drifter as well; he learned this skill from Doc Hudson, who used to be a famous dirt track racer. Drifting, also called powersliding in some Cars media, allows Lightning to take sharp turns without losing control and driving off of the track. His top speed is around 200 MPH with 750 HP and a 0-60 of 4 seconds.

In all three installments of the Disney Infinity series, Lightning also has a tow hook, which can be used to tow other vehicles, a skill that is utilized for some missions in the Cars Play Set. If Lightning uses this ability on a player or toy that is not a car, such as Jack Sparrow, they will ride in a small wooden wagon that Lightning can pull around. In Cars 2: The Video Game and the Disney Infinity games, McQueen can also use weapons if he picks up one while racing. When using a Machine Gun or Missile Launcher, the compartments on his sides will open, allowing Lightning to fire them. In Mater's tall tales from the Cars Toons episodes, Lightning has been shown with a variety of other abilities, including:
 * Performing stunts, though he did not successfully jump the Carburetor Canyon (Mater the Greater)
 * Fighting Bulldozers and angering them with his red paint job (El Materdor)
 * Possessing skills that resemble that of a dragon, and defeats Kabuto's Ninjas with little to no trouble (Tokyo Mater)
 * Singing and playing the keyboard (Heavy Metal Mater)
 * Monster Truck wrestling (Monster Truck Mater)
 * Exploring space (Moon Mater)
 * Taking care of crime (Mater Private Eye)
 * Performing stunts in the air (Air Mater)

Friends and love interests
During his rookie season, Lightning had a rather small selection of friends. Though Rusty and Dusty Rust-eze, along with other rusty cars who idolize McQueen, acted kindly to him, he still dismissed them and did not enjoy making live appearances or interacting with them at all. However, Lightning did have one friend; his transporter and teammate Mack, who had befriended him during Lightning's early racing days, when he was still searching for a new sponsor. However, when Lightning was forced to stay in Radiator Springs after accidentally ripping up the road, though initially hesitant toward being associated with the town's residents, Lightning later befriended all of the cars. Many of the residents, including Luigi, Guido, Fillmore and Sarge, would later become part of McQueen's racing team, while Flo, Ramone, Lizzie, Red, and Sheriff, help him out on various occasions. However, Lightning's closest relationships include Mater and Sally, as well as Doc Hudson, prior to his death. Mater is Lightning's best friend, and the two enjoy participating in various activities with each other, including Tractor Tipping, messing around on the Ornament Valley railroad tracks, and sharing stories with each other. Sally, however, is Lightning's romantic interest. Upon meeting her in the courtroom, Lightning began to develop a crush on her, and the two would later begin to date at the end of Cars. Some of their favorite pastimes together including taking drives through Tailfin Pass, as well as enjoying a quiet evening at the Wheel Well Motel.

Foes and rivals
Lightning's arch nemesis is Chick Hicks, a rude and selfish Piston Cup race car that has an intense rivalry with Lightning. Despite Chick's win at the 2005 tie-breaker race at the Los Angeles International Speedway, his victory was overshadowed by McQueen's action of helping Strip Weathers to the finish line, who had previously been damaged by Chick. During the following season, Lightning and Chick's rivalry eventually inspired the Radiator Springs Grand Prix, a three-race event hosted in each of the three Carburetor County areas, with the final Piston Cup race of the season to finish it off.

Another racing rival that Lightning had bad blood with was Francesco Bernoulli, although the two would later overcome their differences and become friends, as evidenced in installments such as Cars 2: The Video Game, Cars: Fast as Lightning, and all three installments of the Disney Infinity series. After trash-talking Lightning on live television, Lightning and Francesco found themselves against each other in the World Grand Prix, in which Francesco managed to beat Lightning in the first race, but McQueen won at the following race, with the third and final event having no defined victor. Lightning has also met a fair share of additional racing rivals, though he did not have bad chemistry with any of them, with the exception of Chick's allies from Cars: Race-O-Rama, though they would later apologize for their actions and befriend McQueen. Also, Big D is another of Lightning's rivals, in Mater Private Eye. In Cars 3, Jackson Storm is the main rival of McQueen in the film. Storm makes it clear from the start that he wants McQueen out of the sport as he sarcastically calls him "Champ" and even brags that it takes all he has to beat him despite him beating McQueen with ease. During the LA 500, the final race of the 2016 season, Storm tells McQueen to enjoy his retirement which puts McQueen into shock and causes him to struggle to the point of crashing while keeping up with the Next-Gens.

Occupations
Lightning is a Piston Cup champion race car known all over the world for his quick and skillful style of racing. He has won four Piston Cups over the years, and is currently working on his fifth. After his fourth win, he was accepted into the World Grand Prix, a championship involving 11 racers, each from a different part of the world. After he finished, he presumably went back to the Piston Cup. In 2017, he became Cruz Ramirez's crew chief. Additionally, Mater has told many tall tales that have featured McQueen in different professions than he usually can be seen in. Some of them include:

Aliases
Throughout the series, McQueen has been seen with various different names and appearances, notably in the Cars Toons shorts.

In El Materdor, McQueen is a bulldozer fighter named El McQueen.

In Tokyo Mater, McQueen goes under the name of Lightning Dragon McQueen, a drift car that helps Mater during his race with Kabuto.

In Monster Truck Mater, Lightning's stage name is "Frightening McMean", dubbed by the Referee Pitty after he mishears what McQueen says.

In Mater Private Eye, Lt. McQueen is the detective alias of McQueen.

In Air Mater, once Lightning joins the Falcon Hawks with Mater after one of the members is damaged, Lightning is called Lightning McQueen Hawk as to fit in with the names of the other Falcon Hawks.

He is usually referred to by Sally as "Stickers", because of him originally having headlight stickers rather than real ones. However, there are a couple of times when Sally refers to him by his actual name, as she says McQueen's surname when the press are in Radiator Springs in the first film, and she says McQueen's first name while he is dreaming of racing in the Radiator Springs Grand Prix in the video game, along with mentioning to Mia and Tia about the winner of the Sally's Sunshine Circuit taking a drive with him.

He is occasionally referred to as "buddy" by Mater, who also at one time calls him "Mr. I Can't Turn On Dirt" in the first film, when he thinks about going tractor tipping.

Crew
Throughout the franchise McQueen has had a pretty expansive team. Before the events of Cars, McQueen had 3 crew chiefs, one which was named Chuck. In Cars, McQueen's crew consisted of just pitties with one being called Chuck, the name of McQueen's previous crew chief however he claimed that his name was not Chuck. His team of pitties soon left him due to his arrogance as a racer leaving him with no one to work with him besides Mack, McQueen's hauler. During the tie-breaker race at the Los Angeles Speedway, Lightning gained a new team consisting of the folks from Radiator Springs. The most notable ones were Doc Hudson and Guido. Doc served as McQueen's crew chief for 4 years until the events between Cars: Race-O-Rama and Cars 2, where he passed away leaving him once again without a crew chief. However during Cars 2 McQueen's crew changed once again for the World Grand Prix. The lineup this time was Mater as the crew chief, Luigi as the tire expert, Guido as the pitty, Fillmore as the fuel expert and Sarge as the suspension expert as well. Mater left Team McQueen after the Tokyo race due to him causing McQueen to lose only leaving 4 members left. During the London race McQueen's team got bigger, however, it was for emotional support rather than to help him during the race. During Cars 3, McQueen's team remains the same but during the Florida 500 Smokey was McQueen's temporary crew chief until Cruz joined the race and McQueen kept telling him to say ridiculous things things to her which caused Smokey to step down and put McQueen into the spot of being the crew chief for the first time.

Creation and development
During research for the first film, John Lasseter and General Motors designers met to discuss the updated Corvette design, which Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks were originally intended to be based on. However, changes to the plot resulted in both characters being left as generic stock racers. According to production designer Bob Pauley, Lightning's final design used elements from GT40s and Chargers, among many other models, to reflect his personality and role. Originally, Lightning's number was 57, John Lasseter's birthyear.

Athletic figures such as boxer Muhammad Ali and football quarterback Joe Namath were looked to during development of McQueen's personality, as well as popular musician Kid Rock, in order to create a cocky-but-likable character. Additionally, Michael Jordan was also looked to by the designers, due to his unique style of playing his sport.

Cars

 * Bios
 * "Lightning is built for speed and has just two things on his mind: winning and the perks that come with it. In his fast-paced life he has little time for anything or anyone, but who needs friends when you've got a stadium full of fans."
 * "To Lightning McQueen, the world's fastest race car, appearance is everything. Fans expect a celebrity like him to look great all the time: fresh, shiny, spotless! If only his fans could see him now."
 * "Lightning McQueen's dream is to be sponsored by Dinoco Oil! In his daydreams he looks great with his new Dinoco blue paint job and his very own brand of Lightning McQueen racing tires complete with custom spinners. Hey, and why decide on either gold or silver spinners when you can have both?"
 * "The town fixed up Lightning McQueen just in time for a cruise down the strip, and Radiator Springs looks pretty cool on him. Then again, everything looks pretty cool under the glow of the neon on Route 66."
 * "Could anything be more embarrassing than being splashed in the face with mud right in front of the girl of your dreams? I don't think so."
 * "Could anything be more embarrassing than being splashed in the face with mud right in front of the girl of your dreams? Well, maybe being covered with leaves right after that. Yes, that would be more embarrassing..."
 * "After winning the Piston Cup and getting The King's coveted Dinoco Sponsorship, McQueen imagines a movie deal will be the next logical step. He sees himself doing action movies, with a hint of comedy, a touch of drama and a truck load of explosions."
 * "Turning on dirt is not only harder than Lightning McQueen thought, it's also a lot more embarrassing."
 * "Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Turn right to go left sounds easy enough, but McQueen's finding out it's a lot more painful than it seems."
 * "Lightning McQueen never stops for tires, even if it means driving right through them."
 * "When you don't have a nose to win by, a tongue is the next best thing."
 * "I don't need your help, I don't want your help!!"
 * "I lost the race because of you!"

Lightning

 * Stats
 * Speed: 5
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Handling: 3
 * Stability: 3

Lightning (Monster truck)

 * Stats
 * Speed: 4
 * Acceleration: 3
 * Handling: 2
 * Stability: 3

Lightning

 * Stats
 * Boost: 3
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Handling: 4
 * Stability: 3

Monster McQueen

 * Stats
 * Boost: 3
 * Acceleration: 3
 * Handling: 2
 * Stability: 4

Cars 2

 * Bios
 * "Number 95 Lightning McQueen is still a hotshot racecar, but his rookie days are past him. Now a permanent resident of Radiator Springs, Lightning has become a bona fide worldwide celebrity as winner of four Piston Cups. After his latest win, Lightning returns home to enjoy life in the slow lane for a while with sweetheart Sally, best friend Mater and the rest of his Radiator Springs family. His off-season is unexpectedly cut short when Mater inadvertently prompts Lightning to enter the World Grand Prix, a high profile, three-part exhibition race that will take him around the globe. With a fresh custom paint job and real, working headlights, Lightning sets off to Japan, Italy and England with Mater in tow for the adventure of a lifetime. But competing against the fastest cars in the world tests more than his racing skills when Lightning realizes his wide-eyed best friend may not be the pit chief nor ambassador he needs to navigate the unfamiliar international terrain."
 * Specifications
 * Top Speed: 200 mph (322 km/h)
 * Zero to 60 mph (0–100 km/h): 3.2 seconds
 * Engine: Full Race V-8
 * Power: 750 HP (760 PS, 560 kW)

Lightning McQueen
Bio

"Lightning is still the hotshot #95, but now he sports a brand new paint job and headlights. A worldwide celebrity known for his four Piston Cup wins, Lightning is proud to call Radiator Springs his home base. He's famous and successful, but still enjoys the company of good friends."


 * Weight: Medium
 * Speed: 50
 * Power: 50
 * Speed: 5
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Handling: 3
 * Stability: 3
 * Boost: 3
 * Nitro: 25
 * Torque: 1

Radiator Lightning
Bio

"There's no place like home, and nothing reminds Lightning of that more than this classic style."


 * Weight: Medium
 * Speed: 50
 * Power: 50
 * Speed: 5
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Handling: 3
 * Stability: 3
 * Boost: 3
 * Nitro: 25
 * Torque: 1

Carbon Fiber Lightning
Bio

"Francesco better watch out. With this sleek carbon fiber upgrade, Lightning will be the talk of the track."


 * Weight: Medium
 * Speed: 50
 * Power: 50
 * Speed: 5
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Handling: 3
 * Stability: 3
 * Boost: 3
 * Nitro: 25
 * Torque: 1

Dragon Lightning
Bio

"With an amazing dragon detail on his side, Lightning's ready to drift with the best of them."


 * Weight: Medium
 * Speed: 50
 * Power: 50
 * Speed: 5
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Handling: 3
 * Stability: 3
 * Boost: 3
 * Nitro: 25
 * Torque: 1

Daredevil Lightning
Bio

"So what if this paint job only exists in "Mater's Tall Tales"? There's no reason to stop Lightning from enjoying it now."


 * Weight: Medium
 * Speed: 50
 * Power: 50
 * Speed: 5
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Handling: 3
 * Stability: 3
 * Boost: 3
 * Nitro: 25
 * Torque: 1

Disney Infinity

 * Bios
 * "Whatever the task, Lightning McQueen is quick to react. Whether he’s jumping a canyon, trailblazing through desert, or towing another character in the Cars Play Set, nothing slows him down."
 * Toys

Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition

 * Toys

Cars: Fast as Lightning

 * Paint jobs: Retro Look, Champion, Winter, Speed Demon, ICE, Eastern Breeze, Neon McQueen

Cars 3
Bios
 * Specifications
 * Top Speed: 198 mph (319 km/h)
 * 0 to 60 mph (0–100 km/h): 4 seconds
 * Engine: Full Race V-8
 * Power: 750 HP (760 PS, 560 kW)
 * "Lightning McQueen is world champion – a modern-day racing legend who’s riding high with seven Piston-Cup wins under his hood. Suddenly, he finds himself faced with a new generation of racers who threaten not only his dominance in the sport but the confidence that got him there. Determined to get back to the pole position, the #95 must decide if his love for racing is enough to fuel the comeback of his life."
 * "With seven Piston Cup wins and a passion for motorsports, Lightning McQueen has earned the reputation of a world champion. His racing career is riding high until the formidable Jackson Storm and the next-generation racers enter the scene. For the first time, McQueen finds himself wondering if he truly is "quicker than quick, faster than fast". As he navigates a career crossroads, number 95 will discover what racing really means to him, and how being in the sport will shape his future."

Quotes

 * "Ka-chow!" - Cars
 * "I'm faster than fast. Quicker than quick. I am lightning!" - Cars
 * "Oh, Kori. There's a lot more to racing than just winning. I mean, taking the race by a full lap... Where's the entertainment in that?" - Cars
 * "No, no. I wanted to give the folks a little sizzle." - Cars
 * "Am I sorry I don't have a crew chief? No, I'm not. 'Cause I'm a one-man show." - Cars
 * "Yo, Chuck. Chuck, what are you doing? You're blockin' the camera! Everyone wants to see the bolt." - Cars
 * "Now, back away." - Cars
 * "Ow! Whoa, team! Where are you going?" - Cars
 * "Oh, OK, leave. Fine. How will I ever find anyone else who knows how to fill me up with gas? Adios, Chuck!" - Cars
 * "Oh, whatever." - Cars
 * "I love being me." - Cars
 * "Yes, yes, yes! Lightning McQueen here, and I use Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment, new rear end formula. Nothing soothes a rusty bumper like Rust-eeeze. Wow! look at that shine! Use Rust-eze, and you too, can look like me! Ka-chow!" - Cars
 * "Mater?" - Cars
 * "Holy Porsche! She's gotta be from my attorney's office." - Cars
 * "I'm a precision instrument of speed and aerodynamics!" - Cars
 * "Pch. Crazy grandpa car, what an idiot." - Cars
 * "No Mater, I gotta finish this road, and I have to get out of here." - Cars
 * "Whoa, whoa, easy now, Mater. You know who you're talking to? This is Lightning McQueen. I can handle anything." - Cars
 * "It's good to be home, everybody." - Cars 2
 * "I know Doc said these things were just old cups... but to have someone else win it just didn't feel right, you know?" - Cars 2
 * "Thank you so much for having us, Sir Axlerod. I really look forward to racing. This is a great opportunity." - Cars 2
 * "I'm coming for you, Storm." - Cars 3
 * "I decide when I'm done." - Cars 3
 * "This is my last chance, Cruz. Last! Final! Finito! If I lose, I'd never get to do this again!" - Cars 3
 * "If you were a racer, you'd know what I'm talking about, but you're not! So you DON'T!!" - Cars 3
 * "No, but I can't go out on the track and do the same old thing. It won't work." - Cars 3
 * "I'm gonna keep racing. But before that, I got something I want to do." - Cars 3
 * "Mater was telling the truth!" - Cars 2 Lights & Sounds Lightning McQueen, unused
 * "You can't rely on numbers alone, racing is something you have to feel and experience" - Cars 3: Driven to Win

Names in other languages

 * Albanian: Vetëtima McQueen
 * Arabic: برق بنزين (transcription: Barq Benzin)
 * Bulgarian: Светкавица МакКуин (transcription: Svetkavica MakKuin)
 * Chinese (simplified) (People Republic of China): 闪电麦昆 (pinyin: Shǎndiàn Mài Kūn)
 * Chinese (traditional) (People Republic of China): 閃電麥昆 (pinyin: Shǎndiàn Mài Kūn)
 * Chinese (simplified) (Hong Kong and Taiwan): 闪电王麦坤 (pinyin: Shǎndiàn Wángmàikūn)
 * Chinese: (traditional) (Hong Kong and Taiwan): 閃電王麥坤 (pinyin: Shǎndiàn Wángmàikūn)
 * Czech: Blesk McQueen
 * Danish: Lynet McQueen
 * Dutch: Bliksem McQueen
 * French: Flash McQueen
 * Finnish: Salama McQueen
 * German: Lightning McQueen
 * Greek: Κεραυνός Μακουίν (greek: Keravnós Makoín)
 * Hebrew: ספידי מקווין (transcription: Spidi Mekkuin)
 * Hungarian: McQueen Villám
 * Italian: Saetta McQueen
 * Japanese: ライトニング・マックィーン (romanisation: Raitoningu Makkwīn)
 * Latvian: Zibens Makvīns
 * Perian: لایتنینگ مک کوئین
 * Polish: Zygzak „Błyskawica” McQueen
 * Portuguese (Brazilian): Relâmpago McQueen
 * Portuguese (European): Faísca McQueen
 * Romanian: Fulger McQueen
 * Russian: Молния МакКуин (transcription: Malniya MakKuin
 * Serbian: Муња Меквин
 * Slovak: Bleskový McQueen
 * Spanish: Rayo McQueen
 * Swedish: Blixten McQueen
 * Turkish: Şimşek McQueen
 * Ukrainian: Блискавка МакКвін (transcription: Bliskavka MakKvin)

Meaning of Translated Names

 * Albanian name Vetëtima means lightning
 * First name Barq (Arabic: برق) means lightning. Surname Benzin (Arabic: بنزين) means petrol.
 * First name Shǎndiàn (simplified Chinese: 闪电, traditional Chinese: 閃電) used in Chinese version distributed in People's Republic of China means lightning. Surname Mài Kūn (Simplified Chinese: 麦昆, Traditional Chinese: 麥昆) is phonetic spelling close to English McQueen.
 * First name Shǎndiàn (simplified Chinese: 闪电, traditional Chinese: 閃電) used in Chinese version distributed in Hong Kong and Taiwan means lightning.
 * Bulgarian name Svetkavica (Cyrylic: Светкавица) means lightning.
 * Czech name Blisk means lightning.
 * Dutch name Blisksem means lightning.
 * French name Flash means flash.
 * Finnish name Salama means lightning.
 * Hungarian name Villám means lightning.
 * Italian name Saetta means flash of lightning.
 * Latvian name Zibens means lightning.
 * Polish name Zygzak means zigzak. Nickname Błyskawica means lightning.
 * Brazilian Portuguese name Relâmpago means lightning
 * European Portuguese name Faísca means spark
 * Russian name Malniya (Cyrylic: Молния МакКуин) means lightning.
 * Slovak name Bleskový means lightning as an adjective.
 * Spanish name Rayo means thunderbolt.
 * Swedish name Blixten means flash.
 * Turkish name Şimşek means lightning.
 * Ukrainian name Bliskavka (Cyrillic: Блискавка) means lightning.

Trivia

 * His racing number, "95" is a reference to the year 1995, when Pixar's first feature-length film, Toy Story was released. Originally, his number was going to be 57, which is the year John Lasseter was born, 1957.
 * Lightning's last name "McQueen" is a reference to Glenn McQueen, a supervising animator at Pixar who passed away in 2002.
 * In the first official teaser trailer of Cars 2, for unknown reasons, Lightning McQueen has on his Rust-eze customization, which never appeared in the sequel. It may be because the new paint job was not finalized at the time of the release of the teaser trailer.
 * Likewise, in the first teaser trailer for Cars 3, McQueen is sporting the original Rust-eze logo when he crashes, unlike the final film with the same scene. His first paint job in the film likely wasn't finalized either at the time of the trailer's release.
 * In Toy Story 3, in the Caterpillar Room at Sunnyside Daycare, the viewer can see one of the kids with a white T-shirt with red sleeves and has in the middle of the shirt the 95 racing number with the lightning bolt of Lightning McQueen. A toy similar to Lightning can also be seen.
 * In the first film, Lightning's back bumper is yellow. This follows NASCAR's tradition of putting yellow rookie stripes on rookie drivers' cars.
 * Lightning McQueen is unique among other Pixar protagonists, as he does technically both lose and win, as that he gave up his Piston Cup title to Chick Hicks so he can help The King finish his last race, but it was meant as a lesson for him as he learned that helping others is more important than winning races and that his heroic actions made him earn applause from the crowd. Therefore, McQueen still loses, but his good sportsmanship makes him the true winner of the eyes of his fans and his new friends from Radiator Springs, due to the actions of Chick Hicks.
 * Lightning's design was inspired by stock cars, and a more curvaceous Le Mans endurance racers (Ford GT40).
 * After Lightning's redesign in Cars 2, he has working headlights instead of stickers. However, Sally still calls him "Stickers".
 * Fabulous Lightning McQueen's Mattel diecast prototype had the Dinoco logo on his hood.
 * In Tokyo, an advertisement for a vacuum cleaner named "Lightning McClean" is seen.
 * In Kinect Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure Lightning McQueen appears in his Cars 2 attire, however in his beta model his hood bears the logo for Rust-eze on it instead of the Piston Cup emblem, this was later fixed. Rush cars.jpg
 * In the Disney Infinity sequels, several of his quotes are omitted, including the "Whoo-hoo!" quote made when he does an air trick, and the quotes he says when meeting the cast members. Additionally, his quotes are somehow not covered by the subtitles in the third game.
 * A 1:55 scale die-cast of Lightning McQueen, along with Chick Hicks and Brush Curber, appear in one of the exhibit elements at The Science Behind Pixar exhibition.
 * His catchphrase, "Ka-chow!", is said briefly by Mayday in Planes: Fire & Rescue, when he is showing some Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment on his bumper (although the DVD and Blu-ray subtitles make it as if Mayday was sneezing instead of saying, "Ka-chow!").
 * In Cars, Lightning has fourteen different paint variants, ranging from different amounts of dirt and dust to his "Dinoco", "Cruising" and "Radiator Springs" paint jobs.
 * There is a talking Lightning McQueen toy created in Hungary. Strangely, his number is 63, like Lee Revkins. Currently, no pictures have been found. LEGO Incredibles McQueen.jpg
 * Early concept arts suggest that he was originally blue, not red.
 * Lightning McQueen makes a reappearance as one of many extra playable Pixar characters in Lego The Incredibles.
 * McQueen's paint job seen in Cars Toons: Tales from Radiator Springs and Cars: Fast as Lightning did not receive a normal die-cast release. Only having a special metallic version made available.