June 14, 2026 | Bonus Episode: Porsche builds Toy Story 911s for the Toy Story 5 premiere
About this episode
The show starts with next-gen EV battery talk, including solid-state liquid-metal work with Mercedes. It then pivots to Porsche’s Toy Story 5 premiere: three custom 911s themed after Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jesse, built with Pixar’s involvement and engineered like regular production cars. Details range from fully painted-on character cues to denim pressed into wet paint and Goodyear tires with Lightyear branding. The hosts frame the whole rollout as a high-visibility, social-ready marketing strategy.
Porsche rolled out three custom 911s themed after Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie for the red carpet premiere of Toy Story 5. Automotive News Staff Reporter Jack Walsworth joins Executive Producer Jake Neher to break down how the Porsche-Pixar relationship started, what went into building the cars and what it means for Porsche’s brand and bespoke business.
solid-state batteries
"Solid-state batteries are going from hype to reality, and this week on Shift, we're digging into what new battery chemistries could be for cost and EV adoption."
Solid-state batteries are a type of EV battery that uses a solid material inside instead of a liquid. The goal is to make batteries safer and able to store more energy, which could help EVs go farther without getting heavier.
Solid-state batteries replace the usual liquid electrolyte with a solid material. That can potentially improve safety and energy density, which matters for electric vehicles because it can mean longer range or smaller/lighter battery packs.
solid-state liquid-metal battery
"Factorial Energy CEO Xiyu Huang talks about developing a new solid-state liquid-metal battery with Mercedes, an innovation that could change the weight and the cost of new vehicles."
This is a special kind of solid-state battery that uses a liquid metal in the design. The hope is to get better battery performance while still keeping the benefits of solid-state construction.
A solid-state liquid-metal battery is a hybrid approach where a liquid-metal component is used within a solid-state battery architecture. The idea is to combine the performance benefits people want from liquid metals with the safety/packaging advantages of solid electrolytes.
Factorial Energy
"Factorial Energy CEO Xiyu Huang talks about developing a new solid-state liquid-metal battery with Mercedes, an innovation that could change the weight and the cost of new vehicles."
Factorial Energy is a company working on battery technology. In this story, they’re the ones developing the new solid-state battery approach being discussed.
Factorial Energy is the battery company whose CEO is being quoted about developing a solid-state liquid-metal battery. Companies like this typically focus on cell chemistry and battery manufacturing know-how rather than making complete cars.
Xiyu Huang
"Factorial Energy CEO Xiyu Huang talks about developing a new solid-state liquid-metal battery with Mercedes, an innovation that could change the weight and the cost of new vehicles."
Xiyu Huang is the CEO of the battery company Factorial Energy. He’s the person explaining what their solid-state battery work could mean for EVs and why it’s taking shape now.
Xiyu Huang is identified as the CEO of Factorial Energy in the segment. He’s the source explaining how new solid-state battery chemistries could affect EV cost, weight, and the timeline for adoption.
Mercedes
"Factorial Energy CEO Xiyu Huang talks about developing a new solid-state liquid-metal battery with Mercedes, an innovation that could change the weight and the cost of new vehicles."
Mercedes is the car company involved in this battery project. It matters because it shows a major automaker is putting money and engineering into newer EV battery technology.
Mercedes is the automaker partnering on the solid-state liquid-metal battery effort mentioned in the segment. In EV tech discussions, automaker partnerships often signal which companies are investing in next-generation battery chemistry and pack designs.
energy density
"With the same energy, we could deliver a lighter pack, which eventually will be able to drive down the cost of the vehicle."
Energy density means how much energy the battery can pack into its size and weight. If it’s higher, the EV can often go farther without adding a lot of extra battery mass.
Energy density is how much electrical energy a battery can store for a given weight or volume. Higher energy density is important for EVs because it can translate into more range without making the battery pack heavier or larger.
Porsche Museum in Germany
"So, back when that movie came out at the premiere, the life-size Sally Carrera was made, that car is now part of the Porsche Museum in Germany."
This is Porsche’s museum in Germany. The host is saying the life-size movie car is now kept there as part of Porsche’s collection.
This refers to Porsche’s museum located in Germany, where the life-size Sally Carrera car is said to be displayed. Museums like this are used to preserve brand history and connect iconic vehicles to the brand’s broader cultural footprint.
Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
"that was at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona back in January. So, it's kind of on a world tour."
This is a famous 24-hour race in Daytona, where cars have to keep running for an entire day. It’s a big stage for racing teams and automakers.
The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is a major 24-hour endurance race at Daytona International Speedway. It’s a common place for automakers and racing teams to showcase performance and durability over a full day.
Porsche 911
"And then in 2022, Porsche built an actual 911, the exact same color as Sally, all the same wheels, every detail from the movie character brought it to real life."
The Porsche 911 is Porsche’s famous sports car. Here, Porsche makes a special 911 that matches a character from the movie—same color and details—and then sells it at an auction for charity.
The Porsche 911 is Porsche’s iconic rear-engine sports car, and it’s the platform used for this Toy Story crossover. In this segment, Porsche builds a movie-character-matching 911 in the same color and with matching wheels and details, then auctions it for charity.
Monterey Car Week
"during Monterey Car Week for charity and sold for around $3.6 million."
Monterey Car Week is a major car event in California with auctions and big collector attention. Here, it’s where these special cars are shown and sold for charity.
Monterey Car Week is a high-profile annual automotive event in California, centered on auctions, concours shows, and collector-focused activities. In this segment, it’s where the special Porsche 911 is auctioned and where Pixar executives meet Porsche leadership.
Timo Resch
"at Monterey Car Week, and approached him with this idea of, hey, what if we work again on a project?"
Timo Resch is identified here as the head of Porsche Cars North America. The segment uses his involvement to explain how the Toy Story project got started and coordinated between Porsche and Pixar.
Sonderwunsch
"It's the Sonderwunsch team, which is German for special dreams, something like that. And so, they worked with Pixar to make these cars."
Sonderwunsch is Porsche’s custom-order team for special one-off requests. It means these cars weren’t just stickers—they were built with real engineering and detailed finishing work.
Sonderwunsch is Porsche’s internal program/team for bespoke, one-off customer requests—essentially custom builds beyond standard options. In this segment, the host says this team worked with Pixar to make the Toy Story-themed cars with production-level engineering and paint development.
paint booth
"took over 350 hours in the paint booth. From a distance in the photos on"
A paint booth is a special room where cars are painted under controlled conditions. The host is saying the custom paint took a huge amount of time to get right.
A paint booth is a controlled environment used for applying automotive paint and clearcoat, with controlled airflow, filtration, and temperature to help ensure consistent finish quality. The segment highlights that the Buzz Lightyear paint development took over 350 hours in the paint booth, emphasizing the effort behind the custom color.
Easter eggs
"But that also leads to a lot of cool Easter eggs, so too. So, if you were to open the doors [322.8s] on the Buzz Lightyear car, the bottom of the door is red and light pattern, just like the wings on the Buzz Lightyear character... [365.7s] if you look at the cars in person, there's just no shortage of Easter eggs that I'm sure kids would pick up on"
“Easter eggs” are little hidden details you only notice if you look closely. In this case, the Toy Story-themed Porsche has secret references in the paint and interior that fans can discover.
In car design, “Easter eggs” are hidden or subtle details—often visual patterns, references, or small motifs—that reward close inspection. Here, the host describes how the Toy Story-themed Porsche paintwork and interior details include references fans can spot in person.
huge wing
"So, for the Buzz Lightyear car, [385.6s] it's a 911 RS, which is like the top tier performance spec. It has a [391.7s] huge wing, so that is like an obvious, it's like a home run fit for Buzz, given that the character has wings that [396.0s] come out of the back."
A “wing” here means a spoiler that helps the car stick to the road. The episode also uses it as a visual match to Buzz Lightyear’s wings.
A “wing” on a performance car is an aerodynamic spoiler mounted to the body, designed to increase downforce. More downforce helps the tires maintain grip at speed, and in this episode the host points out that the Buzz car’s huge wing visually matches Buzz’s winged look.
special mold
"are Goodyear tires, but Goodyear actually made a special mold that says Lightyear, which is just so cool. And that's obviously a nod to the character and Pixar, and you know, one of the most iconic names out of the whole Pixar universe."
A special mold is a custom form used to make something with a specific shape or design. The host is saying the tire was made with a custom mold so it could include the Lightyear branding.
A special mold is a custom tool used to shape a product—in this case, the tire—so it can include specific branding or graphics. Here, the host claims Goodyear made a special tire mold that includes the “Lightyear” name and related Easter eggs.
Goodyear
"are Goodyear tires, but Goodyear actually made a special mold that says Lightyear, which is just so cool. And that's obviously a nod to the character and Pixar, and you know, one of the most iconic names out of the whole Pixar universe."
Goodyear is a well-known tire company. In this story, they’re involved in the themed cars by making tires with Lightyear branding and movie-style hidden details.
Goodyear is a major tire manufacturer, and in this episode it’s specifically tied to the Toy Story 5/Lightyear-themed Porsche builds. The host says Goodyear created a special tire mold that includes “Lightyear” branding and additional Easter eggs on the tire sidewall.
Ford Ranger
"...t they would like to call it the 911 SR for Space Ranger, which again is just like, it's like these, these..."
The Ford Ranger is a pickup truck, meaning it has a cargo bed for hauling things. It’s designed to be useful for work and also practical for regular driving. The podcast is referencing a themed name that connects the Ranger idea to “Space Ranger.”
The Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup truck designed for everyday driving and practical work use. It’s often discussed because it’s a popular platform for special editions and naming themes tied to popular culture. In the podcast context, the “911 SR for Space Ranger” reference is using the Ranger name as a playful connection to the “Space Ranger” idea.
philanthropic
"Now you mentioned that with previous versions of this same kind of thing that they've sold the cars for charity, that there's a philanthropic piece to this. I assume that's also true for these cars."
Philanthropic refers to actions intended to benefit others, often through charity or fundraising. The host connects the themed Porsche sales to a charitable angle, saying previous versions were sold for charity and implying these will have a similar philanthropic component.
brand awareness
"What does this do for Porsche? What does this do for their marketing, for their brand awareness? What's the goal for them?"
Brand awareness means how many people remember a brand and what they think of it. Here, Porsche is trying to get more people talking about Porsche by using a big, fun Toy Story connection.
Brand awareness is how well people recognize a company or product name and associate it with a certain image. The hosts frame Porsche’s Toy Story 911s as a way to boost awareness through high-visibility events, media coverage, and social content.
red carpet premiere
"So these three cars, we're all at the red carpet premiere. Obviously, red carpet premieres are pretty big. It's a high profile event with a lot of eyeballs."
A red carpet premiere is a high-profile event where celebrities, media, and photographers gather, creating lots of visible coverage. The hosts argue that having multiple custom Porsche cars parked up front is a deliberate way to maximize attention and publicity.
TikTok
"And on social media, this is perfect for a TikTok or an Instagram reel to really show the coolness of the cars."
TikTok is a social app where people post short videos. They’re saying this kind of car content is perfect for that format.
TikTok is a short-form video platform where content spreads quickly through recommendations and social sharing. The hosts mention it as an ideal channel for showcasing the custom cars via quick, attention-grabbing clips.
Instagram reel
"And on social media, this is perfect for a TikTok or an Instagram reel to really show the coolness of the cars."
An Instagram Reel is a short video you can scroll through on Instagram. They’re saying these cars are great for that kind of quick, visual post.
An Instagram Reel is Instagram’s short, video-first format designed for quick viewing and sharing. The hosts cite it as another way to amplify the custom Porsche cars through social media clips.
one-offs
"[722.2s] business case, it does show the strength of what Porsche can do with some of their one-offs or [727.3s] some of their bespoke offerings."
“One-offs” are one-of-a-kind cars. They’re built as special projects, not as regular cars you’d find in the showroom lineup.
“One-offs” are unique, non-production cars built for a specific event, customer, or concept—so they don’t represent a normal model line. The segment uses it to describe Porsche’s ability to create special, custom vehicles rather than mass-market variants.
bespoke
"[727.3s] some of their bespoke offerings. Making a paint that feels like jeans is really neat."
“Bespoke” means custom-made for you, not something off-the-shelf. Here it’s about Porsche tailoring details like paint for a specific project or customer.
“Bespoke” means made specifically for a particular customer or purpose rather than produced as a standard option. In this context, it refers to Porsche’s custom program—especially unique paint and other one-off details.
Jesse White Metallic
"And I should note on the Jesse car, [769.0s] one cool detail, they made up a new paint color. So it's supposed to symbolize the pearls on her [776.0s] outfit. So it's now called Jesse White Metallic, I believe, which is really neat."
“Jesse White Metallic” is the name of a special custom paint color used on the Toy Story-themed car. It’s meant to match the character’s outfit details—specifically the “pearl” look.
“Jesse White Metallic” is a named custom paint color created for the Toy Story-themed “Jesse” car. The hosts say it’s intended to symbolize the pearls on Jesse’s outfit, showing how Porsche’s bespoke team can tailor paint naming and appearance to the theme.
earned media
"[797.1s] this is definitely a marketing move, but it also really shows the strength and the ability of Porsche's [802.9s] ways to get that like real earned media and reach new audiences."
“Earned media” means free publicity that happens because people talk about it and share it. In this case, the Toy Story Porsche is designed to get attention online without being a traditional ad.
“Earned media” is publicity you get because people choose to share or talk about something, not because you paid for an ad. The hosts connect it to social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where unusual car stories can spread organically.
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.