Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in the Cars Movies

Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in the Cars Franchise

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in the Cars Franchise.

For this list, we’ll be looking at in-jokes, references and some plain crazy themes of the “Cars” universe that fly over the heads of younger viewers.

Ever noticed anything hidden in a “Cars” movie? Drop us a comment below and let us know what.

#10: Violent Races

Kids might not notice it, but the car races are pretty darn brutal. Events such as the Piston Cup are framed as the car equivalent of athletics, but the crashes and antics are so intense that it often feels more like wrestling. The cars frequently smash into each other, making huge dents in their bodywork, breaking parts off, in some cases being damaged severely. In the context of them just being cars, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. But considering these are humanized cars, with feelings and emotions… Yikes. These events have got to seriously hurt the racers. Who knew spectators in the “Cars” universe were so sadistic?

#9: Cars Travel Inside… Other Cars

On the face of it, it’s not that weird - real cars are transported on lorries all the time, right? The difference, of course, is that those cars aren’t actually alive. So when Lightning McQueen is being towed from race course to race course by Mack the truck, he’s basically sitting inside the body of his friend. Which is a pretty gross thought. There’s also the bizarre concept of the Popemobile for the Pope - who is also a vehicle - in “Cars 2.” And the second movie in the franchise also features buses, a concept which raises far more questions than answers. The more you think about it, the less sense it makes.

#8: The “Cars” Universe Is Almost Identical To Ours

It’s made pretty clear that our world and the “Cars” world are supposed to be one and the same, with a key difference: everyone is a car. Real life celebrities like Lewis Hamilton, the British Royal Family and Jay Leno all appear in car form. And Sarge the Jeep dates from World War II, confirming that historical events are mirrored. Elsewhere, the cars are seen eating and drinking, just like humans. This raises the question - how organic are these cars meant to be? Are we supposed to assume they’re like humans in almost every way, or are they still machines? It’s freaky stuff to think about. The similarities are a little too close for comfort.

#7: Sex Probably Exists In “Cars”

One of those previously mentioned similarities is… yeah. You guessed it. Think about it, though. We see cars flirting a lot, including McQueen and Sally, who get very close and loved up. And “Time Travel Mater” from the spin-off short series “Mater’s Tall Tales” establishes that marriage happens in the “Cars” universe. We also see baby cars, too. With all that in mind, it’s impossible to skirt around the fact: the cars do it, somehow. Finding out exactly how or why this works is, quite frankly, a step too far. But as adults, it’s impossible to ignore that it’s happening. Yuck.

#6: Where Are The Humans?

We’ve already established that this universe is ours, with the humans swapped out for cars. But if that’s the case, why are there so many things that simply couldn’t have happened without humans? The cars all have doors, for example. And there’s no shortage of buildings, roads and technology that could either not have been built by the cars, or simply not needed by them. Surely, at some point, this universe contained humans. Which leads us to the pretty dark idea that something terrible happened to them. Were they all wiped out? Did they evolve into car form? Either way, it’s spooky stuff.

#5: Drug References

For a franchise as seemingly squeaky clean as “Cars”, it’s surprising how many references to narcotics you pick up on as an adult. McQueen’s Rust-eze promotional appearance in the first movie is a prominent example. The rusty old bangers helping McQueen flog the “Medicated Bumper Ointment” make no secret of their dabblings with recreational substances, making Lightning feel pretty awkward stuck in the middle of them. There’s also Fillmore the VW campervan. His slow, chilled out demeanor, coupled with his psychedelic paint job tells you all you need to know about this Radiator Springs resident. A 60s hippy voiced by George Carlin, his big dilated eyes are the sure-fire giveaway. One for the parents.

#4: Clever Casting And In-Jokes

Pixar loves to sprinkle their movies with knowing references for older viewers, and the “Cars” series is no exception. The trilogy is packed full of in-jokes. The casting of Paul Newman as Doc Hudson is a great example. Newman had a famous rivalry with fellow actor Steve McQueen, so Hudson’s on-screen distaste for the car named McQueen is pure genius. Elsewhere, Fillmore’s name nods to the Fillmore West theater of San Francisco in the late 1960s, while characters such as “Jay Limo” and “Jeff Gorvette” will doubtless have parents chuckling from the back seats. For what’s arguably Pixar’s most child-orientated franchise, there’s plenty of respite for those older than 7 too.

#3: Sally’s Lower Back Tattoo

Quite how she got it is another question, but Sally Carrera has what can only be described as an embarrassing lower back tattoo. It’s a tribal design of the kind that went out of fashion in the late 90s and early 2000s, and, naturally, she’s ashamed of it when McQueen catches a sneaky glance of it. This is absolutely something that will fly straight over the heads of the movie’s target audience. But to adults? It’s a clever little bit of social satire that makes the first “Cars” installment feel that much more enjoyable. It’s silly and adds nothing to the plot, but it’s also pretty funny.

#2: Adult Magazines Exist In “Cars”

Yeah… this is a weird one to explain. The fact sex exists in the “Cars” world alludes to this anyway, but it’s not something that you’d ever consider until hearing a throwaway line of dialogue from the first movie. When McQueen arrives in California on board Mack the truck, a reporter car can be heard asking if it’s true that he’s going to pose for “Cargirl” magazine. This is a pretty disturbing thought. Exactly what a “Cargirl” photoshoot looks like, or how such a magazine is even distributed, are questions to be answered another day. It’s a funny one-liner that opens up a whole can of worms.

#1: The Car Groupies

There’s a lot of adult humor tucked away in the “Cars” movies. But this example is the clearest, and arguably funniest, of the lot. As a superstar racer, Lightning McQueen unsurprisingly has lots of fans. And these include Mia and Tia, two incredibly enthusiastic cars who can only be described as groupies. They appear to be besotted with McQueen, and both are painted in the same red paint job as him. Their behavior peaks when they meet McQueen ahead of a Piston Cup race, and, in their excitement, “flash” their headlights at him in a very suggestive way. McQueen’s eyes glaze over as security steers them away. It’s a memorable moment.