Cars 2005 Teaser Trailer - Details of an Early Concept | Video Essay

The 2005 teaser trailer for Cars might not have much of a story to it, but it still offers a fair amount of interesting content in spite of its quick runtime.
Join me as I analyse the original preview for Cars and point out just how much was different compared to the final movie, along with a few Easter Eggs that were sprinkled in too.
I've introduced a new channel outro, the song is "Fate of the Unknown" from Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix.
You can also read the original script for this video on my personal Blogger account, linked in my channel about section.

[@VIRUS_67]

The racers in this trailer have an incredible "killer bean" aura

[@_IMNNO]

It looks like tech demo footage that was animated in 2001 - prior to ray tracing VFX in Pixar’s RenderMan.

[@Ozymandias54]

That’s interesting and all the way to 2001 that’s pretty early since the movie came out in 2006.

[@KoalaTContent]

It's possible this was just an animated short and the film wasn't even officially started for years after the short's creation

[@oscodains]

@@Ozymandias54 All of Pixar’s first original films were planned at the same time in 1994-8.

[@zachatck64]

​@@oscodainsDuring Toy Story 1's development they planned up to Wall-E, according to the teaser trailer of said film

[@lunecker]

@@zachatck64 wasnt it after? since before they released toy story, it was a big question mark. Would make sense if they planned it all, but after Toy Story 1 got released to cinemas, not during the development.

[@Cube6529]

I remember watching the show from 9:00 when I was a kid, but I could never remember the name. So, thanks for that.

[@otakufoxbr03]

Esse trailer é de 2004

[@wuwwuw6089]

So Corrosion Seal seems to be prototype of Rust-Eze. Quite interesting.

[@RyneMcKinney]

Yeah Rust-eze is literally an anti-corrosion supplement for cars

[@carscollector9594]

That 57 red racecar is the original design for McQueen!

[@BreadGood_21]

Go figure

[@CiElitOo0O]

Honestly, whoever redesigned him deserves a raise!

[@jayvonnoelsmith8445]

​@@CiElitOo0Oyea true

[@1dK628]

I never could have understood this

[@ussedits]

THANK GOD!😅😅 i would not have noticed

[@RacerMaker]

Chick doesn't resemble a Riviera, he resembles a Buick GNX.

[@JTTE91]

Thanks for the clarification. I always had it in my head that it was Riviera

[@mpf1947]

It's a Regal, but the Grand National and GNX were performance versions of the Regal.

[@Finn_that_speaks_swedish]

☝️🤓

[@BraydenBunch58]

Buick actually used to be in NASCAR in the early 1980’s with notable drivers such as Bobby Allison and a young Dale Earnhardt.

[@spektacles1927]

8:16 Not only are the eyes different, but in the final movie they gave him a soft-top sunroof that is puffed up at the front to resemble some sort of hat, like a beret I think, or maybe a haircut?

[@christopherbennett6016]

I had assumed it was test animation made sometime before Nemo as none of the sponsors reference that movie. They probably just used this footage as they didn't have enough final footage to use at the time. Then again, Pixar used to always use original animation for their teasers. And I imagine the thinking behind adding McQueen & Mater at the end watching it was to remind the audience who the main characters were. I saw this for the first time when I saw the Incredibles in theaters and wasnt sure what exactly to make of it. But when I saw Cars when it came out, I was hooked.

[@jayvonnoelsmith8445]

I know right

[@banner1864]

0:24 I can smell his breathing through the screen

[@thebonelessskinlessartist]

Is that the Cars video game music I hear? Nice touch! The nostalgia is real!

[@paulaye5971]

i mm so glad someone else recognizes it

[@RestitutorEuropa]

It’s crazy that even a 2005 animation still looks so good

[@sebastiaodavila9747]

In the 2000s, 3D animation studios were already capable of producing breathtaking CGI's. If you watch many animated movies from the 2000s, most of the visuals still hold up very well and, in some cases, the visuals are literaly as good as those in animated films of the late 2010s and 2020s. There are of course some exceptions: if you take the first 2002 'Ice Age' movie and if you compare the CGI's with those of the sequels, you definitely see the improvements that followed but it's because 'Blue Sky' was getting its start and it's the same for 'Illumination' and the first 'Despicable Me': the sequels have much better CGIs than the original 2010. But still, extremely good CGI's were already a reality back in the 2000s. Here's another example: take Disney's 2000 'Dinosaur', the CGI's aged surprizingly well.

[@mjaypierce9549]

it looks even better

[@ZeeecksLegends]

@@mjaypierce9549definitely not better than the finished product lol But it does look really good

[@XJoe360]

Don’t vote reform uk

[@Coastal_Cruzer]

A game from 2004 was the benchmark for FPS graphics until like the late 2010s

[@krishacz]

one thing i find super interesting is that their windscreens and eyelids have a more distinct separation. in the final movie, most cars have a single eyebrow without the groove in the middle.

[@kavirajnosib4648]

Are we sure Pixar didnt just design placeholder stock cars to not give too much away aka Mcqueen & Chick, I find it very odd that Pixar used such generic basic cars for the teaser so it might be possible these were just placeholders more than anything but that Luigi & Doc scene doesnt reinforce that, maybe Mcqueen may of actually been a stock car but I also heard Mcqueen was meant to be represented as a Corvette Z06 due to Pixar having a brand deal with Chevrolet

[@suddysoap-barproductions4470]

McQueen - as created - was meant to be a 2001 Monte Carlo stock car It’s so deeply rooted that Monty Carl was even his name at first lol Then Monty McQueen, in tribute to late animator Glenn McQueen - and finally Lightning McQueen The reasoning for the design change is somewhere in the Blu Ray’s director commentary: John Lasseter felt McQueen looked flat and simple So they gave his body a lot of contours and curves to give him a stronger visual identity But they didn’t want McQueen to look out of place - so they made the final variety of piston cup racers in his image The reason for recycling this old test I think comes down to this: Every prior Pixar teaser was a simple skit with two lead characters But they might’ve wanted a stronger hook than that The racing test doesn’t tell a story - but it’s interesting and full of action, and peaks your interest more than two random characters talking

[@hyper5925]

Yes. If you look to old test animations and interviews about the first movie and the origins, McQueen has the same design as seen in the race of this teaser. Generic stock car, red color, number 57. His design would not change until much later. This teaser is interesting, because it has both prototype and finalized Lightning McQueen. I would say that probably the race sequence was made way earlier as a test, and Pixar decided to reuse the vídeo to the teaser, where McQueen and Mater are watching it. Considering that Doc and Luigi were the first Radiator Springs citizens that were modeled, with no sign of Mater in the test animations, and the use of Luigi in the race, I can kinda confirm my theory about it. And no, McQueen never was intended to be a Corvette. He is an one of a kind Piston Cup race car.

[@davydigger708]

@@hyper5925 I heard somewhere that McQueen's finalized design is a mix of a Ford GT, Chevrolet Corvette, and Dodge Viper. Wouldn't be surprised - as I see a little of each in him!

[@BugsyFoga]

Green Day and Pixar are two things I definitely didn’t expect to see together

[@wevefriends]

Seriously. The 2005 trailer is the entire reason I’m into Green Day, leading to my love for the Guitar. I now play 7 instruments, thanks Pixar, and Thanks Green Day.

[@Hicksy0001]

I love these old Disney/Pixar teasers. Seeing the early concepts and purposely bare-bones animations is so cool! I wish there were more of these available. I have only managed to find one teaser for Cars (the one in this video) and Shrek respectively.

[@justcallmeBIG_L]

0:26 the spoiler of that car reminds me of the 2000-2002 Pontiac gran prix spoiler they used in nascar.

[@mr.m4275]

You know, When I was a 6 or 7 years old, I always wanted a Corrosion Seal #57 In Die-cast model 1/55 scale along with NitroAde 13. My future is I wanted to make the 3D printed Cars diecast out of these guys in the teaser Trailer. But One problem is, I'm Way further down from making 3D stuff. And in December 2022 Through March 2023 I've made the decals, numbers and Sponsors to look like from the teaser as possible by double clicking the video and pay close attention to the cars and give it a guess and remember from the early Pixar movies

[@teh_supar_hackr]

Agree'd, would be pretty cool if these proto-designs for the cars had a physical die-cast of sorts

[@yackmestar]

I know you're a small youtuber, but this I found so much better then of the larger channels that do movie essays and trailer essays. I really enjoyed watching this thank you so much for it goodluck on your future.

[@themumblebrapper]

I always loved the song that played, it was Westbound Sign by Green Day, and it fit so well

[@oddtick]

I remember this teaser quite well back in the day on The Incredibles DvD. I was also very big into Nascar so seeing this was mindblowning back then, I remember replaying it over and over again because it hit after note for me. Nostalgia 100

[@Mr.Feather130]

The original teaser for cars is possibly the most iconic and best teaser trailer for a Pixar film imo

[@nitevibe9886]

Plus Mr. Incredible struggling to put on his belt

[@Mr.Feather130]

@@nitevibe9886 and also the teaser for a bug's life which shows you what the movie is going to be about without even telling it since it's just showcase that the movie is going to be about bugs

[@TheGirmanator]

I perked up when you mentioned the sponsors “Ben and Audrey’s Frozen Bagels” and “Jackson’s Jumbo Pretzels”. They also appeared as boxes in Bug City from A Bug’s Life and are named after the animators’ children. Didn’t realize they were in this trailer too!

[@xxroyalprincexx6811]

Did you know that the stadium the racers are in is the Radiator Springs Speedway?

[@Kirby_Tankson_39]

I remember being so interested in these models and this teaser trailer when I was younger.

[@WhatsItsName]

I don't know how to explain it, but all the original car designs just look like alcoholics

[@ShoOKitssho_time]

I remember seeing this for the first time (presumably when I saw Mr. Incredible for the first time in cinema) in Japan. I was so excited, I googled "Cars" on the internet in Japanese, just to find out BMW's owners' group only at the time. When the movie came out, it did not disappoint at all, but I also remember I thought of how different it was from the trailer. Thanks for taking us to the memory lane!!

[@SebastianGarcia-hr7kr]

Why wasn’t Westbound Green Day in the movie?

[@c-rabbit08]

The teaser trailer yea and that’s my favorite song by Green Day lol

[@davydigger708]

Actually, Chick Hicks resembles a Buick Regal, not a Riviera. I see why someone could have gotten those names mixed up...

[@funSports_3206]

"I know this wasn't really my best video" - becomes your most watched video lol

[@PTMG]

The Vitoline car is also has the toystory color scheme

[@JinteiModding]

8:55 not to mention some of the ChoroQ/Penny Racers/Gadget Racers games, which have pretty much the same premise as Cars (talking cars in a world fit for them), but MUUUUUCH earlier, like 2002's Road Trip Adventure

[@4thquarter40]

Amazing game

[@nascarfan1013]

Is that Atlanta Motor Speedway?

[@DarkwingMcQuack]

Definitely modeled after Atlanta, Charlotte, & Texas.

[@nintendoallstarsstuffies]

Hidden City cafe is a reference to Monsters inc 4:11

[@miguel-xe1dh]

They look like the chevy monte Carlos ss stock cars

[@Internatube]

Review starts at @1:11

[@JooshDontKnow]

Actually, Chick was meant to be a Monte Carlo/Buck Regal(Grand National).

[@minniemin1324]

i remember seeing the original teaser a lot and when i actually saw the movie i was like huuuh. i'm glad they changed it because it looks so much better but 6 year old me was so confused lol

[@MixelFan95]

4:38 what alternate version, the one with the John Lasseter Interview?

[@JTTE91]

I think it's from a version made in 2004

[@jayvonnoelsmith8445]

​@@JTTE91oh ok

[@sweetbabyrayss]

10:43 Gotta love proving yourself wrong. Awesome video!

[@Journey_to_who_knows]

They look like they’re perpetually abuotukam

[@thesupermayoreo]

I really have a knack for old computer animation.

[@AntarcticPirate]

This was a surprisingly good video great job

[@noramartinez1052]

I’m wondering if that nitroade green number 13 racer is the original design for chick hicks.

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

The trailer debuted with The Incredibles in 2004. Theatrically, of course, so it may have been hard to find online before the DVD release.

[@DieselFarao]

That Green Nitrorade Racer #13 Was the original design for Chick Hicks

[@DieselFarao]

I think,

[@DieselFarao]

If not, I’m sorry

[@NeonBeeCat]

The more realistic car designs are interesting though

[@imrandarr1094]

This teaser trailer actually made it’s debut during the theatrical release of The Incredibles in 2004. Cars was originally supposed to be released on November 4th 2005, but because Steve Jobs wanted a summer release date, it was delayed to June 9th 2006.

[@Jacy-dx6dx]

Judging by the reflection on the Cars' logo, hood or trunk, it seems to be in a garage.

[@AAvilaAlan]

Perfect for cars 4 McQueen's 57 it's perfect for turbo dragón the bhutan racer for the world grand prix

[@tardarsauce1842]

Soo, McQueen was originally going to be an NASCAR stock car, instead of a Chevy Corvette/Dodge Viper

[@RestitutorEuropa]

I recognise that music used at the start of the video. Im pretty sure it’s from the first cars PC game. I played that game so much as a kid.

[@Legomoviefan2008]

10:08 plot twist. It’s his father.

[@amansuniverseyt]

@JTTE91 Fun fact : i’m guessing that the sponsors on the old and new McQueen are quite similar. (Corrosion seal: a liquid that removes rust). ( rusteez : a liquid to remove rust)

[@esmeecampbell7396]

I had no idea that there were prototype shorts of films. It's odd how different the shapes and textures actually look, giving them a distinction in shape was a good idea I think. This now makes me wonder if there are the same prototype versions of Monsters Inc, Lilo and Stitch, Finding Nemo or The Incredibles.

[@BMoney8600]

Man I loved that trailer!

[@Wreckedftfoxy]

all the racers in the final film of cars are stock cars just different years most are gen 4, others are gen 3, chick hicks is gen 3 and dinoco is gen 2 and mcqueen is a one off

[@sonicfan9144]

I also find it interesting how Luigi doesn't have the black thing on his head (Idk what it's called) in this early footage.

[@StefDi-ne8gh]

Here is an animation test of Lightning Mcqueen’s current design and his original design and the test with eyes in the video is Lightning Mcqueen’s original design including the talking test and even a test of what the scene of McQueen noticing that Doc Hudson used to be racer also shows Lightning McQueen’s original design here is the video I found kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3fLpoaHa6mNjK8si=B2LngY8UGVsWWO2Z.

[@ruined5194]

it's crazy how Lighting Mcqueen was supposed to be the Antagonist in Early Concept XDDD

[@thelittleal1212]

it’s kinda weird to say this but, the faces on the old designs strangely resemble the faces of the Asylum knock off (Cargo)💀

[@MateusAndrade2006]

Racer Number 9. Maybe he's sponsor to tiny's frozen corn dogs. And the racer number 86. Maybe he's sponsor to dr catmull's Root Beer.

[@gustavogeres5993]

Also, racer 65's color palette was used in Wingo, in the final cut

[@AndyGreenFox2005]

6:56 on early story boards of the king's crash chick was same stock car shape as prototype mcqueen

[@EricShuttleworthJr]

This was a very interesting teaser trailer i remeber seeing it too.

[@Jetthehawk1994]

I kinda wish these early prototype characters got toys.

[@The_Nrman]

i kinda find it odd that the track they use for the trailer is a recreation of Texas Motor speedway. you can see the hotel off of 2

[@Marc-zi4vg]

i kinda prefer this lightning as on screen lightning looks like he trained all his life for his world's version of IMSA GTS ....before it folded and went to the Pistol cup

[@sullivans2004]

This was an awesome video, I subscribed! Also I hope Pixar eventually get diecasts of the cars from this teaser trailer made, that would be cool.

[@Cygator_]

Your channel randomly popped up on my feed. Great video! You gained a subscriber :)

[@kalebhabetler8133]

Something about how the teaser is rendered and lit reminds me of burnout 2: point of impact

[@gasolinecowboy]

it's actually kind of wild to me how drastic the change in character design is after a 2 year period, considering pixar movies average a 4 year development period

[@AndyGreenFox2005]

4:39 Lol the first one is smork & second one is tiny's frozen corn dogs

[@ksaw3212]

It's insane how much the rendering tech has improved between this and the final movie. That and the character models and environments. Insane

[@colton1295]

2005? The movie released in June 2006? Judging by the state this trailer is in did they really do most of the animation in a year?

[@iwanevans607]

I remember the teaser trailer in the dvd menu of another film, crazy that it changed so much

[@alexfire53-ze7px]

One word " Nascar"

[@AAvilaAlan]

And a racer can crash like the vitoline racer 52

[@Bunnyraccoon]

I remember seeing the teaser trailer of Cars on one of my Disney/Pixar dvds, and the racecars on the tracks has been in the back of my memory for a while. So it was nice revisiting and analyzing the teaser trailer for good times.

[@xthemyth8830]

They missed an opportunity to have he 57 be lightnings dad he never knew about

[@ryandawson8513]

Dream Street

[@iwanevans607]

Oh also there is still a very short clip of the original concept film, in fact you’ve used it in this video, it’s so short but you can tell it’s still original film

[@2003knuckles]

how do you only have 400 subs??? phenomenal video

[@hatechanizumi3551]

can I take a moment to talk about the background music? I have completely forgotten about the good old Cars main menu soundtrack of the ps2 game bro u gave me insane huge flashbacks there

[@hci_yuuzou1696]

the models you can see in the teaser are actually in the game as well as piston cup racers ;)

[@Carsboy95]

Great essay! This teaser trailer is weird but, also. cool

[@jayvonnoelsmith8445]

Yes true

[@liampollard6643]

Why are they all so angryv :,(

[@captainvader921]

Oh man. This trailer! I loved Cars as a kid, so when i saw this trailer, I was confused why they looked grittier. I later made a guess that this was most likely an earlier idea for what they wanted the cars to look like, and it's fascinating. I don't think I'd like the movie as much as I do now if they kept those designs, but it's still neat.

[@teh_supar_hackr]

I really don't know why, but something about these teaser designs feels eerie to me, and yet oddly familiar despite them kinda looking different from any car in the final movie.

[@MetalAndMotors]

Great video bud, really interesting :)

[@onenickthomas]

3:00 well you're basically just describing actual NASCAR at this point

[@gills3141]

Very cool. These old movies really take me back. They have so much passion and time into them. New movies feel so cranked out and fake. God bless!

[@thatonecommie8351]

Another similarity between #57 and Mcqueen are the sponsors. Corrosion seal, as in to stop rust, which we all know Rust-Eze is for

[@dibujugador6024]

I always remember that teaser, I couldn't really understand a sh!t bc I didn't knew english at the time, but it makes me feel really nostalgic, even if I didn't had like "hype" for it (maybe bc I was born in March 2006 👁👁) good video bro

[@Localgoof88]

I never realized the music in this teaser was from Green Day! I love that album too! Surprised I didn’t notice!

[@CubeAtlantic]

This is boosting-up good nostalgia idek, Lighting McQueen & Cars wasn't that detailed in 2005.

[@Fantasiafan]

The first bit of the teaser with a bug flying to a flower made me think that they were doing a bugs life 2 but then when mater drove towards a baby bumblebee I was like nope it’s cars

[@iO-Sci]

This is serene and at time interesting that I explore that 2005 Cars trailer. 2005년 자동차 트레일러를 탐험하는 것은 조용하고 흥미롭습니다.

[@south_carolina_man]

Something Pixar was always great at was attention to detail. When you are close enough to see the cars on track, you can tell where all the bumps are on the surface instead of just a simple shape.

[@staticbuilds7613]

It would be interesting to see all of McQueen's designs to see how he went from that intial 57 car to the final 95

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

Dinoco is also the name of the gas station that Woody and Buzz get lost at in Toy Story.