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Disney Releases More Details On Its New Cars-Themed Land
Say hello to Piston Peak National Park.
Last year, Disney announced an entire land dedicated to Pixar’s Cars at its Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando. Aside from a few illustrations that, actually, looked pretty awesome, the details were otherwise scarce. But today, the company has revealed new information on its next big expansion—including a name.
Say goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America (RIP), and say hello to Piston Peak National Park (which, you probably don’t remember, was a real place in Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue movie). The new Cars area will be ripe with thick pine forests and snowy mountain peaks, and include a river that runs through the entire land. It will be the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom.
Disney Imagineers drew inspiration from America’s national parks for this new land, with the Piston Peak mountain range inspired by Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The faux national park will also include a visitor’s lodge, a Ranger headquarters, and walking trails alongside two designated Cars attractions.
The first attraction, an off-road rally-style ride, will allow guests to weave through the forests and over Piston Peak on a trackless ride vehicle with new characters from the Cars franchise. Disney promises it will be “just like a real race.” A second, yet-to-be-named attraction will be geared toward smaller children and families.
Piston Peak National Park will extend from Liberty Square all the way to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and toward the updated Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster, which is set to re-open sometime in 2026. Guests who want to experience Tom Sawyer Island and the Riverboat before work begins on the new land have until July 7.
Disney hasn’t said exactly when the new land will open. But for such a massive expansion, don’t expect to see anything until at least 2027 or 2028.
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The Lexus LS Coupe Concept Isn’t Really a Coupe But That’s Ok
The SUV with rear-hinged doors has a cargo area that slides out of the body.
The LS is dead, long live the LS. Lexus’s flagship sedan is on its way out, but it seems an entirely new family of cars is taking its place. Aside from a wacky six-wheeled minivan, Toyota’s premium brand is also unveiling a swoopy SUV. It’s incorrectly labeled as a coupe, but we’ll let that one slide since the concept doesn’t look half bad. It borrows the minivan’s edgy styling yet wraps it in a shape far easier on the eyes than the outlandish people mover.
This SUV, beaten with the coupe stick, features rear-hinged doors reminiscent of the Ferrari Purosangue, but that’s not even the most captivating part. Although the sloping roofline might make you think it ends with a tailgate, the concept actually has a proper trunk. A rear panel slides down to reveal a cargo floor that automatically extends outward. It seems you’ll need to bend down to access the luggage area, and there’s limited room for taller items, but it’s an intriguing idea nonetheless.
Lexus hasn’t gone into detail about the LS Coupe, but all signs point to it being fully electric. The four-seater features a large panoramic glass roof and a surprising number of air vents for an SUV. Angular lighting at both ends recalls its unconventional minivan cousin, while small four fans bisect the vertical third brake light.
Inside, things get even more unusual. The dual-layered instrument cluster incorporates wide digital screens, complemented by an even larger display for the passenger. Rear occupants relax in individual seats with massive vertical touchscreens mounted to the backs of the front seats.
A completely flat floor reinforces the impression that this is an EV, and the bamboo accents mirror those seen in the LS minivan. The blueish driver’s seat stands out against the cream-colored passenger seats, while a yoke has replaced the steering wheel. Conventional buttons are virtually nonexistent, though the window controls appear to be mounted on the front passenger seat’s left-front corner.
Lexus vaguely describes the LS Coupe concept as something that “answers the wish to have the best of everything.” The marketing fluff continues: “The ability to discover duality a car that is as fun for the driver as it is for the passenger. A balance of contradictions that has always been Lexus’s forte.”
It’s unclear whether the concept will evolve into a production model. Still, between this and the minivan, it’s becoming increasingly likely that the LS name will expand into a full family of models. Hopefully, the traditional sedan body style, part of the nameplate since Lexus’s inception in 1989, won’t be left behind.
2025 Japan Mobility Show:
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Lexus
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