Cars

About Cars

A theme built around one film

The range arrived with Cars 2, which sent Lightning McQueen and Mater on a world tour that combined racing with a spy story. That is why the sets feature race tracks in one box and secret agents, jets and oil rigs in the next. A few sets look back to the first film, such as Flo's V8 Café (8487-1, 254 pieces) from Radiator Springs and Mack's Team Truck (8486-1, 379 pieces), the transporter that carries McQueen to his races.

The biggest boxes

Tokyo International Circuit (8679-1) from 2011 leads with 849 pieces and recreates the Japanese leg of the World Grand Prix. Big Bentley Bust Out (8639-1) follows with 744 pieces, based on the London clock tower from the film’s finale. The 2012 wave added Oil Rig Escape (9486-1, 422 pieces), which shows Finn McMissile’s escape from the opening scene, and the Ultimate Race Set (9485-1, 280 pieces). Spy Jet Escape (8638-1) has 339 pieces.

How the characters are built

There are no conventional minifigures here. Each character is a small brick-built car whose windscreen is printed with eyes, giving the models their expressions. Ultimate Build Mater (8677-1, 288 pieces) takes that idea further and turns the tow truck into a larger stand-alone model with more detail.

Using the parts today

The sets contain plenty of wheels, curved slopes and bright colours, which makes them a useful source of parts for vehicles of your own. Because the theme ran for only two years, a complete collection is manageable, though the printed windscreens are what makes each character recognisable, so check for them when buying second-hand. Our parts lists show exactly what each set contains, and the “What can I build?” tool tells you which Cars sets you could rebuild from the pieces you already own.

FAQ

Which film are the Cars sets based on?

The theme was released alongside Cars 2 in 2011, and most sets depict its races and spy scenes. A few, such as Flo's V8 Café (8487-1), show locations from the first film.

Is there a large Mater model?

Yes. Ultimate Build Mater (8677-1) from 2011 has 288 pieces and is noticeably bigger than the Mater included in other sets.

How long were Cars sets produced?

All 28 sets in this theme are dated 2011 or 2012.