Cheech Marin as Ramone in Pixar’s Cars
I’ve been eagerly anticipating the opening of Cars since I first saw the previews for the animated film last year, so it was an added bonus to find out that the Cars cast will feature a 1959 Chevy Impala Lowrider by the name of Ramone. The voice of Ramone is none other than funny man Cheech Marin, and it’s a fitting role since Cheech’s first movie (1978’s Up in Smoke) begins with War’s Lowrider being played during the opening credits.
I was really impressed with the execution and detail of Ramone’s paintjob. Pixar’s animators were able to capture the sparkle of the metal flake paint, and the translucent ghost patterns are unbelievable. I also like the pinstripes on the hood and the gold spoke wheels, although it’s strange that they didn’t use traditional whitewall tires. The chromed undercarriage and hydraulics are a riot; Ramone is definitely a true and bona fide “Low n Slow” Lowrider (see images below - I’m not sure why there are 2 different paintjobs shown on the Official Site). Speaking of the official site, you can find additional information on Ramone and all the other Cars here: Cars Official Movie Site. There is also a nice write-up at AutoWeek which talks about all the research done to make the characters perform and act like real automobiles.
