At the movies

Screen idlers

Paul Newman and Richard Petty meet on the track

Cars are usually the villains in today’s world, but in Cars, the animated adventure from Disney and Pixar, the motors are the heroes. Directed by John Lasseter of Toy Story, the film follows the NASCAR trail using characters modelled on real machines. Doc Hudson, a Hudson Hornet oval racer, is voiced by Paul Newman while Richard Petty is the Southern drawl behind his famous Number 43 Dodge Charger. Love interest is a Porsche called Sally, there’s a Fiat 500 named Luigi, and even Michael Schumacher is there – played by a VW Beetle.