Countdown to Up: 3 Days to Disney•Pixar’s 10th film

Cars is Pixar’s most underrated film. It’s ingenious premise and genuine characters make it a wonderful 116 minute ride. The story is paced perfectly, reminding us to slow down and enjoy the journey, rather than just living in the fast lane. I’m not sure why so many people didn’t like it. This is a great movie and one that I love.

-John C.

Cars Trivia*

• The tires of Lightning McQueen are Buzzard models manufactured by Lightyear, a reference both to the real Goodyear "Eagle" tires used in NASCAR and character Buzz Lightyear from John Lasseter's Toy Story and Toy Story 2

• This movie was originally titled Route 66. The name was changed to Cars, so as not to imply a connection with the TV show Route 66 (1960-64)

• The film's animators drew up over 43,000 sketches for designs of the cars

• Mia and Tia are modeled after the first-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata

• Instead of making the cars' headlights the eyes, as is done on most cartoons, the Pixar artists decided to put the eyes up on the windshield, because that made the characters more expressive. This idea was largely influenced by the 1952 Disney cartoon Susie the Little Blue Coupe, one of director John Lasseter's favorites

• Flo isn't based on any single car but shares elements of the 1951 Buick LeSabre, the 1951 Buick XP-300, and the 1957 Chrysler Dart - all actual show cars

• The neon lights on Flo's V8 Cafe in the movie flash in the proper firing order for a Ford flathead V8

• One of the bumper stickers on Fillmore reads 'Save 2D Animation.' Another reads, "I brake for Jackalopes", a reference to Pixar's short, Boundin', which features the legendary animal

• Sally the Porsche's profession as an attorney is a reference to Portia, a nickname for female lawyers, named after the character in Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice"

Up Trivia**

Jordan Nagai, who voices Russell, was found at a casting call when his brother was auditioning. The filmmakers picked him because he just sounded like a natural kid, not like he was trying to act.

*All trivia is courtesy of IMDb

**Trivia written by James P.