Ten Things You May Not Know About Lightning McQueen
Steve McQueen?
Old-time movie fans might think that Lightning McQueen was named after actor Steve McQueen. It would make sense, as McQueen was an on-screen costar of Paul Newman’s (who of course provided the voice of Doc Hudson), and he was also an avid race car enthusiast. However, Lightning was actually named after Pixar animator Glenn McQueen who sadly passed away in 2002.
The Champ
Lightning may have passed up his chance for a Piston Cup in the movie Cars , but don’t feel badly for him. He went on to win four consecutive Piston Cups, from 2007 to 2010.
The Piston Cup and a Legendary Hero
And what did he do with that first trophy once he had won? Put it on display in his trophy room? No, he decided to pay homage to his mentor and friend, Doc Hudson, and left the Cup in Doc’s clinic alongside the Hudson Hornet’s own three Piston Cups.
The Story Behind Lightning’s Number
You probably know that Lightning McQueen’s number is 95, but it wasn’t always going to be that. His number was originally 57, which is the year director John Lasseter was born. Incidentally, 95 represents the year that Toy Story, Pixar’s first feature film, was released.
The Wheels on the Ground Go Round and Round…
A fast car needs fast wheels! The tires that Lightning uses are Buzzard models manufactured by Lightyear. A reference to Buzz Lightyear? Of course, though the name is also a sly reference to the real Goodyear “Eagle” tires used in NASCAR. Incidentally, if you look closely you can see the Lightyear Blimp floating in the sky during the film’s race scenes!
Mmm, Fettuccini
Lightning’s tires get an upgrade during his stay in Radiator Springs thanks to Guido and Luigi. And what is the make of those beautiful whitewalls? Why, Fettuccini Alfredo, which of course is also the name of the delicious white sauce beloved in Italian cuisine.
Rookie
In a nod to NASCAR tradition, Lightning McQueen sports a yellow “rookie stripe” on his rear bumper during his first Piston Cup race.
The Need for Computer Speed
Lightning McQueen was certainly a powerful car, and it took powerful computers to bring him to life…so powerful in fact that they were 1,000 times faster than those used in Toy Story. No detail was unimportant, and to that end the animation team used computer models similar to those used for real-life automobiles.
Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson’s performance as Lightning McQueen earned him a nomination for Favorite Movie Animated Voice in the 2012 People’s Choice Awards.
Radiator Springs Comes to California
If you’ve ever dreamed of racing alongside Lightning McQueen, your dream can come true! Radiator Springs Racers is a new attraction at Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. Guests are briefed by Doc Hudson and Lightning himself before finding themselves in the middle of a high-speed race featuring hairpin turns and steep banks. The attraction was one of the most expensive that Disney has ever built, with an estimated cost of over $200 million. (Still, that pales in comparison to the budget for the first Cars film, which came in at $320 million!)
Actually one of Lightning McQueen’s piston cups says 2006.
Thanks July!! It turns out this one is a little confusing, we could use some reader help here! Depending on where you look, Lightning’s first Cup win was in 2006, while some have it as 2007. (And for what it’s worth he went on to win a few more in subsequent films). The thing that makes this a bit of a tangled mess is that according to his bio, McQueen is a 2006 model (and the movie itself came out in 2006, though that doesn’t necessarily mean it was taking place in the current time). And since Chick Hicks won McQueen’s first Piston Cup race (the cheater!), that would make the 2006 winner Hicks…but you can find some lists that have Hicks as the 2005 winner (which shouldn’t make sense if Lightning didn’t come on the scene until 2006), and McQueen as the 2006 winner (and others of course!). Time to watch the movies again! (Not helping matters is that most on-line sources you’ll find are fan-generated, so as far as trustworthiness, you’re pretty much rolling the dice!)
So we’re putting the call out people, what do you think? Many thanks to July for pointing this out and uncovering this quirky conundrum!
Actually in 2007, Brick Yardley (#24) replaced James Cleanair (#61) for team vitoline. Besides in cars 3, he stated that he been racing for nearly ten years which probably makes it nine years.
Can’t believe Lightning Mcqueen (#95) was origanly going to be #57
i love lightning mcqueen.