Rod Redline

Rod Redline
General information
Full name	Rod "Torque" Redline
Gender	Male
Died	2011 Tokyo, Japan
Personal information
Occupation	American Spy
Series information
Appearance	Cars 2
First appearance	Cars 2
Portrayed by	Bruce Campbell

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

—Rod Redline mocking the Lemons

Rod "Torque" Redline is a supporting character in Cars 2. He is the American agent that Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell were supposed to meet until circumstances forced him to pass crucial information to Mater, whom the two British spies mistook for Redline wearing a "clever" disguise. He is one of the finest in the force. As a muscle car, he has extra strength. However, he is also able to flex other powers, including intelligence, quick wits, and the ability to completely change his appearance.

Cars 2

Rod

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

According to Holley Shiftwell, Rod Redline was infiltrated on the Lemons' first secret lair in the oil rigs disguised as a Gremlin, after his government discovered the suspicious installations some time before Finn McMissile himself. Rod is the Gremlin that McMissile witnesses expressing curiosity about a camera intended for the World Grand Prix, and questioning Professor Z about it. During his stay, Rod was also able to snap a picture of the mastermind behind the conspiracy.

Rod accompanied Professor Z and his henchmen to Tokyo for the World Grand Prix inauguration party, with the intention to exchange info with Finn McMissile. However, unbeknownst to him the Lemons had infiltrated his plan, and he was ambushed by a very angry Acer and Grem, who beat him up heavily. When Mater comes across them, Rod surreptitiously passes the device containing the info onto Mater's undercarriage. Mater notices the condition Rod is in, and when he asks if he is okay, Rod simply replies that he is fine, so Mater can leave with the device.

Rod Redline in the Lemons' custody

After this, Acer and Grem angrily brought Rod to the Lemons' second secret lair, where he was restrained with a pair of parking boots on his pair of front wheels. He was then drained of his own gas and pumped with the supposedly clean fuel "Allinol". Professor Z soon demonstrated, on the agent himself, what happens when cars fueled with Allinol are exposed to an electromagnetic pulse generator disguised as a camera, using it as a form of torture. As the Allinol began to react, Acer angrily demanded to know who Rod passed the intel to, putting up a slideshow of all the cars he made contact with at the Tokyo party. Rod resists, but he has an involuntary reaction at an image of Mater, which Professor Z catches. Rod could only show horror at allowing an oblivious civilian tow truck to become a target, before he was killed from the spontaneous explosion of Allinol.

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.

Personality

Rod has a cool manner. He does not worry even though he knows there is no chance for him to live even after the encounter with the lemons. Instead of worrying, he tries to keep up a smile and even insults the lemons.

Under his disguise, he is seen smiling at everyone he talks to except when meeting with the lemons.

Specifications

• 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

Rod's status bar

• Gremlin disguise: Rod has an integrated disguise of an ocre 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.

  

  Rod removing his Gremlin disguise

• Concealed gun: Located in the front left wheel. Locked up by a parking boot which prevents the Lemons from destroying the EMP emitter.
• Telescoping utility arm: A small screwdriver-like arm, located in the right wheel. Rod used this to attach a small device on Mater that was containing top-secret information. Locked up by a parking boot which prevents him from escaping.
• Status bar: Right under his eyes, Rod has a screen in the form of a bar that gives him his sitrep, amount of fuel, and several other parameters. Destroyed in a fire amid Rod's death.

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.

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."

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. They say in consequence that they "backed off tremendously." Lasseter mentions that the changes included making Rod a "tough guy".

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.
  • 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

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's die-cast

Damaged Rod die-cast with Grem

Rod "Torque" Redline's Lemon Disguise