Pixar's Car Franchise Hides A 'Topless' Secret

Pixar is known for incorporating nuanced, mature themes into its kids' films. As such, there are often details in Pixar movies only adults notice. That extends to certain jokes that probably go over the heads of the younger crowd, but parents politely chuckle to themselves when they realize the greater implications. And as it turns out, the "Cars" universe has a scandalous underbelly.

The "Cars" franchise is home to the Top Down Truckstop, which lives up to its name because underneath the main sign (in harder-to-read print), there's this addendum: "All Convertible Waitresses." Convertible cars can take the "top down" as it were, and since cars are sentient in this universe, a "top down" car would be akin to a topless waitress. It's probably a strip club for cars, which raises questions of how a two-ton vehicle could maneuver around a pole. 

It's easy to miss the extra detail, but if parents watch "Cars" on Disney+ enough because their children are obsessed with it, they may catch on to some more of the subtle details. It's a pretty cut-and-dry adult joke and easier to laugh at than something like the Pixar timeline theory where the "Cars" movies take place in a post-apocalyptic future where machines have taken over. It seems cars have developed some humanistic tastes, including lust. 

The "All Convertible Waitresses" sign in "Cars" is easy to miss, which may be good for parents who don't want to risk their kids asking them what that means. However, there are other adult jokes in "Cars" that are far more on-the-nose. The most obvious comes when Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is bombarded by photographers when Mia (Lindsey Collins) and Tia (Elissa Knight) come up to him to say how they're his biggest fans. They then flash their headlights at him, to which he says, "Oh, I love being me." If the flash pun didn't tip it off, it's pretty clear Mia and Tia literally flashed Lightning at that moment, and to really drive the point home, Mia and Tia are then escorted away by police cars, indicating they did something they shouldn't have. 

Another scenes shows Lightning barging in on Doc (Paul Newman) while the Sheriff (Michael Wallis) is lifted into the air. Lightning acts all embarrassed upon seeing the Sheriff's underside, to which the Sheriff responds, "Get a good peek, city boy?" It's unclear what exactly Lightning would be looking at, but clearly, he rolled into something he shouldn't have. Adult jokes can also be found in the sequels, too, such as "Cars 2" having a "lemon party" scene. If you don't know what a "lemon party" means, don't look it up and just trust us that it's an adult joke. 

For any diehard Lightning McQueen fan out there, be sure to check out how the "Cars" franchise stacks up in Looper's rankings of Pixar's best movies.