Two of the stars of Disney/Pixar's exciting new computer-animated feature Cars will race straight off the movie screen and into the real world as actual life-sized models of hotshot rookie racecar Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and Sally Carrera, a snazzy 2002 Porsche 911 (voiced by Bonnie Hunt) will hit the road today for Disney/Pixar's "Cars Road Trip '06" presented by State Farm, it was announced today by Brett Dicker, Executive Vice President of Buena Vista Pictures Marketing.

The film's sheet metal counterparts were created by famed movie car creator and customizer Eddie Paul of Customs By Eddie Paul, with help from Porsche and Pixar Animation Studios' artists and technicians. Paul is responsible for famous Hollywood car creations such as the hot rod that John Travolta drove in Grease as well as custom built vehicles for The Fast and the Furious and xXx.

Disney/Pixar's "Cars Road Trip 06" presented by State Farm will bring the Cars stars to life through interactive experiences. The tour, which was designed and will be managed by the Becker Group, will cross the country with stops in over 40 cities and be highlighted by an appearance at the World Premiere for Disney/Pixar's Cars on May 26 in Charlotte, NC at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. The cars will ride in style via a special truck inspired by the character Mack, which will be provided by Mack Trucks, Inc. As the number one auto insurer in the U.S., and with their headquarters located along Route 66, State Farm sought to sponsor "Cars Road Trip '06" in addition to their category sponsorship of Cars.

Cars tells the story of Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie racecar driven to succeed, who discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters who help him realize that there are more important things than trophies, fame and sponsorship. The all-star vocal cast includes free-wheeling performances by Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, "Larry the Cable Guy", Tony Shalhoub, Michael Keaton, George Carlin, Katherine Helmond, Cheech Marin, John Ratzenberger, Paul Dooley, Michael Wallis, Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, Jenifer Lewis and Jeremy Piven. Fueled with plenty of humor, action, heartfelt drama, and amazing new technical feats, Cars races into theaters on June 9.

"Cars Road Trip '06" travel cities will include:

April 17 Akron, OH
April 18 Washington DC
April 19 Baltimore, MD
April 20 Philadelphia, PA
April 21 Allentown, PA
April 22 Hartford, CT
April 23 Boston, MA
April 24 Toronto, CN
April 26 Detroit, MI
April 27 Chicago, IL
April 28-29 Minneapolis, MN
May 1 Denver, CO
May 2 Salt Lake City, UT
May 4 DuPont, WA
May 5 Seattle, WA
May 6 Portland, OR
May 7 San Francisco, CA
May 8 Bakersfield, CA
May 10-12 Los Angeles, CA
May 15 Houston, TX
May 17-18 Atlanta, GA
May 20-21 Orlando, FL
May 22-23 Jacksonville, FL
May 24-28 Charlotte, NC - World Premiere /
NASCAR Coca Cola 600
May 30 Charlottesville, VA
May 31 Parsippany, NJ
June 1-6 New York, NY
June 11-18 Los Angeles, CA
June 19 Phoenix, AZ
June 21 San Antonio, TX
June 22 Dallas, TX
June 23-24 Tulsa, OK
June 26 St. Louis, MO
June 27 Erlanger, KY
June 28 Cincinnati, OH
June 29 Lexington, KY
June 30 Columbus, OH
July 5 Battle Creek, MI
July 6 Oakbrook, IL
July 7 Bloomington, IL
July 8-11 Chicago, IL

Cars was released June 9th, 2006 and stars Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry The Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Jenifer Lewis. The film is directed by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft.