When I think of John Lasseter’s last film, Cars, I fondly recall the storyline of the forgotten town of Radiator Springs off of historic Route 66. I think the notion of a town passed by and forgotten is relevant these days, and it struck a chord with me even if the film as a whole didn’t quite capture my imagination as other Pixar efforts have in the past. However, for Cars 2, they are putting that storyline behind them and going overseas. Brad Lewis will make his foray into directing as he joins Lasseter as co-director, with Mater and Lightning McQueen returning for a new adventure.

We now have the official synopsis and image for the film, so hit the jump to check out both.  Cars 2 is set to open in 3D on June 24, 2011.

Update:  The first poster has been released and Disney has announced the trailer will be online tomorrow at 8am/PT on Disney.com

Here's the image (via People), poster (via Yahoo), and synopsis. Along with that, we have the confirmed cast to this point, which includes Owen Wilson, Tony Shalhoub, John Ratzenberger, Cheech Marin, Larry the Cable Guy, and Bonnie Hunt. That means McQueen’s pit crew will be returning, along with his love interest, Sally Carrera.

Here's the official synopsis for Cars 2:

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.  Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.  Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.

John Lasseter returns to the driver’s seat to direct this follow-up to his 2006 Golden Globe®-winning Cars. Cars 2 is co-directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film Ratatouille, and produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, Up; visual effects executive producer, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith). The film hits the track on June 24, 2011 in the US.