Star Racecar Lightning McQueen, Lovable Tow Truck Mater and
Master British Spy Finn McMissile Race Across North America to Celebrate
Disney•Pixar’s Big-Screen Adventure “Cars 2”
BURBANK, Calif. (March 18, 2011) – Presented by State Farm, the “Agents on a Mission” tour hits the road with Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” this spring when four-time Piston Cup champion Lightning McQueen and best friend Mater join master British spy Finn McMissile on a 30-city tour that kicks off at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., on March 22. The star cars race off the big screen and into a host of cities—life-size remote-controlled models will light up and rev for fans in Detroit, Toronto, Phoenix, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Washington, DC, and Miami, among others. The tour heats up at the film’s Los Angeles red-carpet premiere on June 18, just in time for the “Cars 2” theatrical opening on June 24.
“The ‘Agents on a Mission’ tour lets fans get face to face with ‘Cars’ favorites Lightning McQueen and Mater, plus the very cool, very savvy spy Finn McMissile, a new character on ‘Cars 2’ roster,” says MT Carney, president of marketing for The Walt Disney Studios. “This movie is filled with fun, action, heart and a lot of laughs—we want to get everyone geared up for ‘Cars 2.’”
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix. But the road to the championship is filled with surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine). Directed by John Lasseter and produced by Denise Ream, the fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.
State Farm brings Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” adventure directly to fans with the “Agents on a Mission” tour, showcasing cars modeled after their big-screen likenesses. The cars will be outfitted in Goodyear tires and transported from coast to coast (and back again) by Mack Trucks, Inc. Visitors can check out the cars and take part in a variety of “Cars 2”-themed activities, including a video kiosk, e-photo opportunities, games and giveaways. They can also enter the “Agents on a Mission” sweepstakes, which features 18,000 prizes, including a new car.
“State Farm is thrilled to present the ‘Cars 2’ ‘Agents on a Mission’ tour,” says Pam El, marketing vice president, State Farm. “Like our force of 18,000 agents across the U.S. and Canada, whose mission is to help people realize their dreams every day, families can become secret agents by participating in fun ‘Cars 2’-themed missions at the tour and online.”
The tour will run through June, hitting the U.S. red-carpet premiere in Los Angeles, and wrapping up in San Francisco and Sonoma. For more information about the movie, the tour and a list of cities, check out Disney.com/cars.
Disney•Pixar’s “Cars,” originally released on June 9, 2006, grossed nearly $462 million worldwide. It was nominated for two Oscars® and one Golden Globe® Award, winning the first ever Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.
Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” hits the track on June 24, 2011. The film marks DisneyPixar’s 12th feature-length animated film and will be released as Pixar Animation Studios celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. The Studio, founded in 1986, has earned 29 Academy Awards® and seven Golden Globes®. To date, its 11 feature films have grossed more than $6.5 billion at the worldwide box office.
For more information about the movie, visit Disney.com/cars, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/pixarcars, and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/disneypixar. For more information about State Farm and the “Agents on a Mission” promotion, like State Farm on Facebook:facebook.com/statefarm or follow State Farm on Twitter: twitter.com/statefarm.
ABOUT STATE FARM®
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 66,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.
ABOUT GOODYEAR
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs approximately 69,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art
products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.
ABOUT MACK TRUCKS, INC.
Dedicated to quality, reliability, and total customer satisfaction, Mack Trucks, Inc. has provided its customers with innovative transportation solutions for more than a century. Today, Mack is one of North America’s largest producers of heavy-duty trucks and MACK® trucks are sold and serviced through an extensive distribution network in more than 45 countries. Mack trucks and diesel engines sold in North America are assembled in the United States. Mack manufacturing locations are certified to the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality and ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Mack is also a proud sponsor of Share the Road, an American Trucking Associations' public information campaign aimed at enhancing the safety of our nation’s roadways. Mack Trucks, Inc. is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services, and is one of the world's leading producers of heavy-diesel engines (9-16 liter). The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. The Volvo Group, which employs more than 90,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells their products in more than 180 markets. Volvo Group sales for 2010 amounted to $36.7 billion. The Volvo Group is a publicly-held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX Nordic Exchange and are traded OTC in the U.S.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Olivier Mouroux, Vice President, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Publicity
818-560-6704
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE CARS FROM THE STATE FARM “AGENTS ON A MISSION” TOUR
SIZE MATTERS – The replica cars are the largest production radio-controlled replica cars ever built.
· At 1000 foot pounds of torque – the electric motors provide enough power to theoretically climb a telephone pole!
· Finn weighs in around 1,760 lbs.
· Lightning McQueen weighs in around 2,250 lbs.
· Mater weighs in at just over 2,700 lbs.
ART IN MOTION — Because of the unique scale of these vehicles, all the exterior pieces had to be fabricated from scratch. No actual “off- the-shelf” car parts could be used. The sculpting process for each vehicle’s body took 6-10 days, totaling 1000-1600 man hours. After the cars were carved in foam, a fiberglass mold was created, and from that the final bodies were produced.
· The chassis for the cars are Model-T replica frames.
· Mater is hand-painted, using a proprietary system that creates real rust on his cab and bed.
· Because the cars had to reflect the designs of the film’s characters, the control systems (switches, lights etc.) had to be built into the various parts of the car. These have been hidden from view.
FILL ‘ER UP — The cars are all electric powered. Each runs on four automotive-style batteries at 48 volts and can run for 30 minutes at full speed.
NO SPEEDING ZONE — The cars can travel up to 10 miles per hour.
REV IT UP — The engine sounds and exhaust sounds are recreated through a 200-watt sound system under the hood.
· The cars are controlled by a high-tech radio-control system normally used for high-end RC hobby cars.
TRICKY TIRES – Lightning McQueen’s tires are one of a kind due to their unique size and were fabricated by Goodyear specifically for the “Agents on a Mission” tour.
· Lightning McQueen is so low to the ground that he needs specially designed ramps to get over even the smallest bumps.
YOU’VE GOT THE LOOK — There are three sets of eyes that are held to the windshield by magnets. The fiberglass windshield is imbedded with iron filings which attracts the magnetic eyes.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Olivier Mouroux, Vice President, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Publicity
818-560-6704
