Cars On The Road - What We Know So Far

Disney and Pixar's "Cars" universe keeps on expanding. Disney first announced a new "Cars" series that would feature fan-favorite characters, Lightning McQueen and Mater, as they embark on a cross-country road trip, at a company investor day in December 2020 (via Deadline).

The new show is the first entry in the "Cars" franchise" since 2017's "Cars 3," which leaves McQueen still on top in the racing world alongside newcomer racing car Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo). The "Cars" franchise now spans three feature films, two Disney Channel "Cars Toons" series, and the bizarre planes-focused spinoff movies "Planes" produced by Disneytoon Studios. The newest series did not gain a title until almost a year after it was first announced; the most recent Disney+ Day saw the streaming service reveal the new show's title, "Cars on the Road" (via Twitter).

Incredibly, it's been over 15 years since Pixar's original "Cars" released in theaters — so many years later, Pixar fans of all ages will soon join their favorite "Cars" characters as they hit the road on Disney+. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming "Cars on the Road" series.

Disney+ recently confirmed that Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy will reprise their iconic Pixar voice roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater, respectively, in "Cars on the Road" — more than one year after initially announcing the characters would star in a new series (via Twitter).

The platform also released three pieces of concept art for the series, which appear to show some dinosaur-inspired vehicles, a new group of new car characters, and McQueen riding alongside a car with lifted tires like a monster truck. According to Deadline, "Sam & Max" cartoonist and sometimes-Pixar collaborator Steve Purcell is writing the new series, and Pixar's own Marc Sondheimer is producing. 

Disney+ promised when it announced "Cars on the Road" that McQueen and Mater will meet new friends, visit new locations in the "Cars" universe, and check in with already-established characters alike. An unofficial Disney fan website, DisInsider, recently reported that characters from the "Planes" spinoff movies — Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook), Ned and Zed (Gabriel Iglesias voices both characters), Leadbottom (Cedric the Entertainer), and El Chupacabra (Carlos Alazraqui) — are expected to appear in the series, but that information has not been corroborated elsewhere. If so, "Cars on the Road" will mark the first time main characters from the "Cars" and "Planes" series intersect.

The new show expects to premiere on Disney+ in 2022.