The real-life sheet metal counterparts for Disney/Pixar’s Cars hit the road today on a 40-city U.S. tour to promote the upcoming computer-animated flick and will come to life through interactive experiences.

The replicas of rookie race-car Lightning McQueen and snazzy Porsche Sally will travel the country in a special Mack truck inspired by Car’s character Mack and will make an appearance at Lowe’s Motorway Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the movie’s world premiere on May 26.

With the help of Porsche and Pixar artists and technicians, the touring replicas were created by Eddie Paul, who’s responsible for the grease lightning hot rod from Grease as well as the custom-built vehicles for The Fast and the Furious and XXX.

In Cars, on route across country to a championship race, the success-driven hotshot novice Lightning McQueen takes an unexpected detour to a sleepy town whose offbeat inhabitants help him realize there’s more to life than fame, trophies, and the finish line.

Cars, which features an all-star voice cast including Owen Wilson (McQueen), Bonnie Hunt (Sally), Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Keaton, George Carlin, Katherine Helmond, Cheech Marin, John Ratzenberger, Paul Dooley, Michael Wallis, Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, Jenifer Lewis, and Jeremy Piven, races into theaters June 9.

“CARS Road Trip ’06″ travel cities will include:

April 17 – Akron, OH
April 18 – Washington DC
April 19 – Baltimore, MD
April 20 – Philadelphia, PA
April 21 – Allentown, PA
April 22 – Hartford, CT
April 23 – Boston, MA
April 24 – Toronto, CAN
April 26 – Detroit, MI
April 27 – Chicago, IL
April 28-29 – Minneapolis, MN
May 1 – Denver, CO
May 2 – Salt Lake City, UT
May 4 – DuPont, WA
May 5 -Seattle, WA
May 6 – Portland, OR
May 7 -San Francisco, CA
May 8 – Bakersfield, CA
May 10-12 – Los Angeles, CA
May 15 – Houston, TX
May 17-18 – Atlanta, GA
May 20-21 – Orlando, FL
May 22-23 – Jacksonville, FL
May 24-28 – Charlotte, NC — World Premiere/NASCAR Coca Cola 600
May 30 – Charlottesville, VA
May 31 – Parsippany, NJ
June 1-6 – New York, NY
June 11-18 – Los Angeles, CA
June 19 – Phoenix, AZ
June 21 – San Antonio, TX
June 22 – Dallas, TX
June 23-24 – Tulsa, OK
June 26 – St. Louis, MO
June 27 – Erlanger, KY
June 28 – Cincinnati, OH
June 29 – Lexington, KY
June 30 – Columbus, OH
July 5 – Battle Creek, MI
July 6 – Oakbrook, IL
July 7 – Bloomington, IL
July 8-11 – Chicago, IL