Pixar's movies are a veritable basket of Easter eggs, filled with running gags and references
to other Pixar properties that only eagle-eyed fans might notice.
Cars 3 is no exception, and contains a truckload of new hidden gems.
"But I like a challenge."
Here's a look at some of the Easter eggs you might've missed in the Cars franchise's third
lap around the track.
A113
It's a tradition for Pixar films to contain at least one reference to A113, the number
of the classroom in which many of its veterans—including John Lasseter and Brad Bird—studied in at
the California Institute for the Arts.
Luckily, the symbol wasn't too hard to spot in Cars 3.
A113 shows up most noticeably on the door of the office of Rust-eze owner and company
CEO Sterling as he takes a meeting with his new racer—er, product—Lightning McQueen.
The Pizza Planet truck
Ever since it debuted in Pixar's first feature film, Toy Story, the Pizza Planet truck has
popped up in most of its films.
Considering Lightning McQueen's car number 95 is a direct nod to the year Toy Story was
released, it's not too surprising that in Cars 3, the old pickup makes yet another appearance.
The truck pops up this time during the demolition derby race McQueen and his trainer-turned-protégé
Cruz Ramirez participate in while undercover.
In the mud track scene, it's open season in terms of which types of vehicles can participate
in the Crazy Eight run, with the last vehicle standing emerging as the night's winner.
And for a brief moment, the Pizza Planet truck can be seen giving it a go against the likes
of the incognito McQueen, Ramirez, and school bus Miss Fritter (whose name may be a wink
to Magic School Bus teacher Miss Frizzle).
"I don't know.
I got nothing"
The Pixar Ball
Much like A113, the Pixar Luxo ball—a yellow bouncy ball with a blue stripe and a red star—has
become a must for each of the studio's films, including Cars 3.
Along with the Pizza Planet truck, the Pixar ball can be seen in the demolition derby sequence,
drawn on the hood of one car that crashes into another.
Whereas the Pizza Planet truck was a dead giveaway thanks to its rocket topper, the
Pixar Ball is a little trickier to spot in the mud-slinging crowd of cars.
Some familiar branding
The Cars series is filled with automobiles that are sponsored by faux corporations, and
there are a ton of Easter eggs planted in those brand names.
Buy n Large, for example, makes an appearance as the sponsor of one of the early race cars
in the film and is seen on the sidelines of one of McQueen's major races against rookie
sensation Jackson Storm.
BnL, Pixar fans might recall, is the corporation that made an appearance in Wall-E and played
a big role in leaving the world in ruins.
It's since appeared in subsequent Pixar pics, including Toy Story 3 and Up.
Dinoco is another old brand that's continued to maintain its relevance in the Cars world,
as the sponsor of Strip Weathers, his nephew Cal Weathers, and, eventually, newcomer speedster
Ramirez.
Another brand that gets a nod is Triple Dent Gum, which was first introduced in Inside
Out.
Cinderella's pumpkin
Sterling's office isn't just the place where A113 can be found—the iconic image of Cinderella's
pumpkin carriage can also be seen in the background of his office.
Although Cinderella is an ancient property of pre-Pixar Disney, the film has been referenced
in subsequent House of Mouse properties before, including The Little Mermaid.
Coco
Pixar's next cinematic release, Coco, also gets a couple of nods in Cars 3.
Not only does the name of the film appear to pop up in in the racetrack sidelines during
a few shots in the film, but the town featured in the movie is also showcased on a training
screen at the fancy new Sterling Center, when a racer is asked by Ramirez to think of his
hometown.
NASCAR racers take a new name
NASCAR fans should have a field day figuring out which of the tertiary characters in the
film represent the real-life racers who voice them.
Among the industry superstars who make brief audio cameos as car characters in the film:
Jeff Gordon reprising his Cars 2 role as Jeff Gorvette, Darrell Waltrip coming back as Darrell
Cartrip, Daniel Suarez making his debut as Daniel Swervez, Ryan Blaney as Ryan "Inside"
Laney, Chase Elliott as Chase Racelott, and Bubba Wallace, driver of the #6 Disney Pixar
Cars 3 Ford, as Bubba Wheelhouse.
Gentlemen, start your microphones.
Perhaps the most subtle NASCAR reference, though, had more to do with a monkey than
a human driver.
Jocko Flocko is the storied simian co-driver that helped Tim Flock win a race in the early
'50s.
His name was referenced by the disguise Mack put on his trailer to trick racers at the
dirt track where McQueen and Ramirez went to practice.
Paul Newman resurrected
Perhaps one of the most bittersweet surprises in Cars 3 is the return of Doc Hudson, a character
originally voiced by the late Paul Newman.
His status as Lightning's mentor made a monumental impact on the racer, especially as Lightning
added more miles to his odometer and started being edged out by newer, faster vehicles.
Not only was he brought back in spirit in flashbacks to his scenes from Cars, but he
was also given new dialogue during those nostalgic moments.
"More speed.
More of everything."
According to Cars 3 producer Kevin Reher, those soundbites came courtesy of between-takes
Cars audio that captured Newman—a real-life driving enthusiast—talking about racing
just for fun.
He told SlashFilm, "John [Lasseter] had left all the tapes running on Cars 1, so we had
all these hours of Paul talking about everything and a lot of it was about racing."
Car Talk
For fans of the NPR talk show Car Talk, the voices of Tom Magliozzi (who passed away in
2014) and his brother Ray have been fun additions as Rusty and Dusty throughout the Cars films.
They pay poignant tribute to their old show while saying goodbye to McQueen—after selling
Rust-eze to Sterling with the hopes of giving their prized racer a better life—by uttering
the Car Talk catchphrase.
"Don't drive like my brother.
And don't drive like my brother!"
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