Lightning McQueen: Difference between revisions

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.

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 [[Chevrolet|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.

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,<ref name="lightningstrikes">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1eQYk74R1g&t=1s "Cars 3 "Lightning Strikes" Extended Look" on YouTube]</ref> 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.

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.

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: