Cars Ridge Run Rally: Ride vehicles and route revealed for Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney Imagineering displayed detailed ride vehicle maquettes for the off-road rally race planned for Piston Peak National Park, the new “Cars”-themed area under construction in Frontierland. The vehicles were on display as part of the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

While Disney has previously released concept art and shown Imagineers testing the technology behind the attraction, the new display provides a much closer look at the design of the vehicles themselves.

Ride vehicles

Disney officially announced the attraction’s name, Cars Ridge Run Rally, during the 2026 D23 Disney Experiences showcase. The race will challenge guests to become the “wildest racer in the wheelderness” while competing for the “fastest lap in the west.” The off-road racers are designed as individual “Cars” characters. Two of the vehicles on display during D23 carry the numbers 66 and 71 (an homage to Magic Kingdom’s opening year of 1971), with different colors, eyes, racing graphics and sponsor-style decals.

Mud and dirt cover their tires and lower bodies, fitting the rugged terrain that will be part of the attraction. Disney says the newly developed vehicles will physically drive across and react to the terrain. Their tires and suspension will respond to the course so riders can feel its bumps, rocks and drops.

The attraction will take guests on an off-road rally race through the mountains of Piston Peak. Disney has previously teased rough terrain, mountain trails and mudholes as part of the adventure.

Cars Ridge Run Rally course

The massive Piston Peak model displayed at D23 provides a sense of how Cars Ridge Run Rally will weave through the mountainous landscape. Vehicles can be spotted traveling along winding dirt trails, crossing bridges and moving through heavily wooded areas surrounded by waterfalls, streams and rockwork.

Disney has since revealed the full progression of the race. Cars Ridge Run Rally will climb Piston Peak to an icy, snow-covered summit before sending riders down a camelback descent. Racers will then encounter a field of erupting geysers, circle the massive Old Tankfull geyser and sprint toward the finish line.

Lightning McQueen and Mater will cover the race live from the sidelines for the fictional Racing Sports Network.

One section depicts the rally’s finish line, complete with checkered racing signage. Lightning McQueen and Mater can also be spotted nearby at what appears to be a race-day staging area.

A video of the model shared by Disney Parks offers an even closer look at the racing theme. “Race Day” banners line pedestrian pathways near the attraction, reinforcing the idea that guests will arrive at Piston Peak in the middle of an organized off-road racing event.

Other concept art displayed at D23 shows a rally vehicle bouncing along a rough wooden trail before heading toward a tunnel carved into the mountains.

The scale model also illustrates just how much of the attraction will be enveloped by landscaping. Dense forests, rocky terrain and substantial elevation changes surround portions of the rally route, helping separate the setting from the desert environment associated with Radiator Springs in the “Cars” films.

Related: “Cars” returns to theaters this September

A mountain formation anchors the Piston Peak landscape, while national park-inspired buildings, trails and waterways fill the surrounding area. The model also shows a wide walking path that goes around the far side of the Piston Peak area near The Haunted Mansion.