Acer: "Hey, what's so funny?"
Rod "Torque" Redline: "Well, you know, I was just wearing a disguise. You guys are stuck looking like that."

—Rod mocking the Lemons

Rod "Torque" Redline was a supporting character in Cars 2. He was the American agent that Finn McMissile was supposed to meet until circumstances forced him to pass sensitive information to Mater, whom Finn and his partner, Holley, mistook for the real American agent. He was one of the finest in the force. As a muscle car, he had extra strength. However, he was also able to flex other powers, including intelligence, quick wits, and the ability to completely change his appearance.

Cars 2

Rod "Torque" Redline was considered by many to be the greatest American spy in the world. Recruited after the Cold War for both his brains and brawn, Torque was a tough-as-nails Detroit muscle car with a mastery of disguises. In his final deep-cover operation, he obtained vital information about the plot to sabotage the World Grand Prix. So Rod planned a rendezvous with his British counterparts so he could share share his discoveries at the World Grand Prix welcome reception in Tokyo, Japan. But the bad guys were hot on his tailpipe, so Rod was forced to ditch the intel early with the first party guest he saw—a rusty American tow truck named Mater.

Rod first appeared next to Muggsy Liftsome, as the latter showed to Professor Z his weapon before loading it somewhere off-screen. He was disguised as an AMC Gremlin, one of the four types of lemons that work at the oil platform. He, off-screen, managed to secretly snap a picture of the leader of the Lemons.

After this, he accompanied Professor Z, Grem and Acer to Tokyo for the World Grand Prix welcome party, with the intention to reveal the picture of the leader to Finn McMissile. As Rod went to the bathroom to activate his tracking beacon, Grem and Acer followed him and a fight broke out, which was accidentally interrupted by Mater. Shortly after realizing that there was no escape for him, Rod surreptitiously attached the file containing the picture of the leader onto Mater's undercarriage, hoping that the tow truck would somehow manage to help Finn.

After the previous events, Grem and Acer kidnap Rod and bring him to a run down warehouse on the edge of the city. There, he was restrained on a dynamometer while being pumped with the fuel "Allinol". At first, Rod, sarcastically, expresses gratitude, highlighting its veneration for its positive impact on cars. Zündapp overhears this and affirms Rod's assumption, but reveals that it has a minor, but detrimental, flaw: when it comes in contact with an electromagnetic pulse, the fuel heats to a boil, while simultaneously expanding, and eventually exploding. Zündapp reintroduces Rod to the "camera" that he had questioned him about at the oil platform with Grem manning the machine before revealing that the device's true purpose is to emit electromagnetic pulses after granting his henchman permission to set the machine to 50% power. As Allinol began to cause a reaction, the lemons begin to grill Rod as to who he passed the intel off to, with Acer putting up a slideshow of all the cars he made contact with while in disguise. Rod resists, but he has an involuntary reaction at an image of Mater, which Zundapp catches and contacts his boss about, assuring that the issue will be sorted out before it's too late. Rod could only show horror at allowing an oblivious civilian tow truck to become a target, before Zundapp returns to fire the EMP weapon at 100% power, killing the agent in a fiery explosion.

Despite Rod's death, his efforts were crucial to giving Mater and the British agents full understanding of the situation of the criminal conspiracy that the Lemons were involved in, and allowed Mater to expose Sir Miles Axlerod as the true mastermind of the conspiracy.

Cars 2: The Video Game

In Cars 2: The Video Game, Rod is a playable character that can only be used in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, as he needs to be purchased from one of the corresponding stores, costing $1.00 USD for XBOX Marketplace and PlayStation Store (except Wii Shop Channel). He is a lightweight and utilizes more power than speed. He can also be downloaded in his Gremlin disguise. (Due to the closure of the XBOX 360 Marketplace in July 29, 2024, he can no longer be downloaded.)

Personality

Rod had a cool manner. During his interrogation with the Lemons, he maintained a calm attitude, knowing full well he wasn't going to survive, revealing a rather brave personality.

During the welcome party in Japan, he was seen smiling at everyone he talked to, showing that he was quite friendly.

Specifications^[1]

• Top Speed: 145 mph (233 km/h)
• Zero – 60 mph: 4.4 seconds
• Engine Type: 5.5-liter V-8
• Horsepower: 550

Weaponry and Gadgets

• AMC Gremlin disguise: Rod has an integrated disguise of a light orange AMC Gremlin which is not a hologram but composed of physical pieces, unlike the disguises of his British colleagues. Nevertheless, he is capable of removing it within seconds.

  

• Concealed gun: Located on his front left wheel.
• Telescoping utility arm: A small screwdriver-like arm, located on his front right wheel. Rod used this to attach a small device on Mater that was contained crucial information.
• Status bar: Right under his windshield, Rod has a screen in the form of a bar that gives him his sitrep, amount of fuel, and several other parameters.

Behind the Scenes

Rod's interrogation scene has been criticized as surprising or even inappropriate. In an interview, John Lasseter said that the scene was necessary to explain efficiently and visually the working and high danger of Lukas's camera.^[2]

It also enabled to get in the movie a certain tone of the spy genre. Story Supervisor Nathan Stanton said that while "watching spy films, where your character is basically tortured and it can be a really horrifying scene, I remember thinking if we could just get five-percent of this in one of our scenes, [...] if we could just get a little of this in what we want, it would be great. It would go a long way."^[3]

Both Lasseter and Supervising Animator Dave Mullins mentioned that the scene as it had originally been conceived was much darker and crueler, and that several people at the studio reacted to it.^[4] They say in consequence that they "backed off tremendously." Lasseter mentions that the changes included making Rod a "tough guy".^[2]

Trivia

• Rod's design is a 2006 Dodge Challenger R/T concept embedded with the front that also resembles more of a 2005 Ford Mustang GT or a Saleen S-281.
• G4 DXR labels on Rod may be stating the fictional name of his car model.
• According to the Meet the Cars book, he is a 2006 Deringer DXR.^[5]
  • This would technically mean he could not have been recruited after the Cold War, for that war ended in 1991.
• His license plate is M1911A1. This is a reference to the Colt M1911A1, a semi-automatic handgun popular for military, civilian, and law enforcement use.
• According to his license plate, he is from Michigan, which is the birthplace of actor Bruce Campbell, who voices Rod.
• A Toys "R" Us Lego exclusive of Rod was released for free on October 15, 2011 in the US.
• Rod is seen talking to Shigeko while in his Gremlin disguise.
• When Rod has his Gremlin disguise on, his eyes are brown instead of blue.
• Rod is downloadable in Cars 2: The Video Game, even though he was killed in the film. However, since all the tracks are just simulations, it's possible that Rod is part of the simulations.
• In the Cars Toon short, To Protect and Serve, the sheriffs Mike 07 and Didi 05 will reuse Rod's model. This is a nod to some real-life police cars, which are Dodge Challengers, and Rod's design is chiefly based on a Dodge Challenger.
• In Cars 3, Pat Traxson reuses Rod's model.
• Rod's voice actor Bruce Campbell had previously appeared in another Disney film featuring the premise involving sentient cars (Campbell had played the lead role in the 1997 telefilm remake of The Love Bug).

Quotes

• "Oh, a TV camera. What does it actually do?"
• "Okay, McMissile. I'm here. It's time for the drop."
• "I'm fine."
• "Well, you know. I was just wearing a disguise. You guys are stuck looking like that!"
• "Allinol? Thanks, fellas! I hear this stuff is good for you."
• "Whatever you say, Professor."
• "Your mother. Oh, no, I'm sorry, it was your sister! You know, I can't tell them apart these days!"
• "What do I care? I can replace an engine block!"
• "No!" (His last word, after the lemons find out he put his intel on Mater)

Gallery

Promotional and artworks

Original artwork

Website artwork

Damaged

Screenshots

Rod Redline disguised as a Gremlin.

Rod in his Gremlin disguise

Redline spots Grem and Acer

Redline in action.

Torque Redline in the stages of being killed.

Rod's no flame death.

Rod "Torque" Redline's Lemon Disguise

Merchandise

Die-cast

Rod's die-cast package

Damaged Rod die-cast with Grem

References