The LEGO Cars 2 theme was a discontinued licensed product line from the LEGO Group that ran from 2011 to 2012. It was based on the Disney-Pixar animated film Cars 2, featuring a wide range of brick-built vehicle models in both the standard LEGO System and the larger LEGO Duplo formats.
Overview
The theme shifted the focus from the racing of the first film to the international spy adventure elements of the second film. Sets included locations from around the world, such as Tokyo and London, and featured spy gear for characters like Mater and Finn McMissile.
System Sets: Fourteen main sets were released in May 2011, followed by eight more later in December 2011, aimed at children aged 5 to 12 years old. These sets utilized specialized car body pieces and a unique form of "minifigure" that was essentially a pre-built character model.
Duplo Sets: A complementary line for younger children (ages 2 to 5) included six sets based on the film. These used the larger Duplo bricks and simpler character builds.
Status: The theme was discontinued in 2012, later succeeded by a Cars 3 theme under the LEGO Juniors line in 2017.
Notable Sets
The theme included several memorable sets that captured key scenes from the film:
Tokyo International Circuit (8679): The largest set in the theme, recreating the first race of the World Grand Prix with characters like Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Shu Todoroki.
Big Bentley Bust Out (8639): This set recreated a scene in London, featuring Big Bentley and characters such as Lightning McQueen, Mater, Professor Zündapp, and Finn McMissile.
Spy Jet Escape (8638): Featured the character Siddeley the spy jet and an escape sequence for Mater and the spies.
Ultimate Build series: This sub-theme within the line included larger, more detailed, brick-built models of key characters like Ultimate Build Lightning McQueen (8484) and Ultimate Build Mater (8677).
Flo's V8 Café (8487): This set was based on a location in Radiator Springs but was released as part of the Cars 2 product line.
Collectibility
As a retired theme, these sets are no longer available in standard retail stores. They are now collector's items and can be found on secondary marketplaces, where the larger sets and specific character models are particularly sought after.