Cars was the first film we took my younger brother to see in the cinema, and he loved it so much that we had to go back and watch it another three times. So I suppose I have him to thank for my Lightning McQueen mega-fan status. 

In case you’re unfamiliar, this Golden Globe-winning 2006 Pixar film tells the story of an arrogant, anthropomorphic Nascar-esque oval racer who’s in with a shout of winning the prestigious ‘Piston Cup’ in his rookie season.

After an unlikely three-way tie for the title in the final race, the series organisers hastily arrange a decider the following week on the other side of the country, and hero McQueen duly sets off in his truck, Mack, to head to the fictional Los Angeles International Motor Speedway. 

During the night, Lightning is separated from Mack after he rolls out of the back of the truck, leaving him stranded on the famous Route 66, and while frantically trying to find his way back to the interstate, inadvertently rips up the high street of a backwater town called Radiator Springs.

Forced to stay until he repairs it, he begrudgingly gets to work, keen to make it to Los Angeles in time for the race. During his quasi-confinement, he meets Doc Hudson, the cantankerous town mayor who turns out to be legendary three-time Piston Cup winner Hudson Hornet. After a fractious start, Doc becomes McQueen’s mentor - and later his crew chief at the tiebreaker race, where McQueen nobly sacrifices a guaranteed win to attend to one of his rivals after a crash - his short small-town sojourn having taught him the values of empathy and kindness. 

Sorry for the spoilers, but you really should have watched it by now.

The notion of a stuck-up "cooler-than-everyone-else" athlete type – complete with obnoxious “Kachow” catchphrase – being humbled by a tight-knit community of misfits, and learning how they thrive by relying on each other is just so wholesome. It leaves my heart full every time I watch it. 

Let’s not forget the phenomenal soundtrack either, which features hits such as Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts (a fantastic karaoke choice), the iconic Route 66 by John Mayer and the mood-boosting opener, Real Gone performed by Sheryl Crow. Truly one of the best movie scores out there, and you bet it was a mainstay of my iPod Nano playlist.