Mater and the Ghostlight

Mater kicks off his pranks by moving Red's flowers and bursting out from a Colosseum-like pile of tires to surprise Guido and Luigi. The playful mischief sets the tone for his ongoing tricks around town.

Mater dresses as a cone-shaped vampire to scare Sally as she goes about her day. The goofy costume amplifies his love of mischief and fuels the town’s playful fear.

Mater tries to scare Lizzie while she is sleeping, but the attempt backfires and she remains unfazed. The moment shows his antics can miss the mark and still be harmlessly comical.

Mater moves Fillmore's gas cans outside while he is away and hides behind them to jump out. Lightning McQueen panics, thinking Mater will spring from the cans, only to discover that what’s behind the pile is one of Mater's signs instead.

Mater teases Lightning by claiming he saw the Ghostlight, the town’s urban legend. He stokes the mystery and tests Lightning’s nerves, fueling their playful rivalry.

Sheriff admonishes Mater for mocking the urban legend and crossing a line. He reminds him that pranks can touch on people’s beliefs and should be kept in good fun.

Sheriff explains the Ghostlight as a blue paranormal orb that haunts Radiator Springs. He recounts the disappearance of a young couple, mentions two out-of-state license plates, and notes that the Ghostlight hates the sound of clanking metal.

Mater becomes frightened by the Ghostlight legend and begins making the clanking metal noise the apparition supposedly dislikes. The fear weighs on him as he processes the tale and its possible truth.

The town’s residents say goodnight and switch off the store lights, leaving Mater alone in the dark. Nervous, he heads back to his junkyard, where he spots a shadow and lights it up, only to find it's just junk with another of his signs.

A blue glow appears behind him and he panics, thinking the Ghostlight is on his tail. He grabs a mirror to check the source and bolts, convinced the spectral orb is closing in.

Mater is chased by the Ghostlight across Willy’s Butte, driving frantically in slow motion as fear overtakes him. He wakes up Frank and his tractors and yells like Doc Hudson in a memorable, taut moment.

The so-called Ghostlight is revealed to be a prank: a lantern attached to Mater’s towing cable by Lightning and Guido. The town’s humor turns the scare into a lesson about friendship and payback.

Sheriff reassures Mater that the only thing to fear on Route 66 is his imagination. Doc Hudson jokes that the Screaming Banshee should be feared more than the Ghostlight; the town exhales, returning to normal.

In a post-credits scene, Mater actually encounters the Screaming Banshee on the road and warns it of the Banshee before heading back to his junkyard. The enormous monster truck looks puzzled by the misdirection.