In Pixar's Cars 3, Cruz Ramirez becomes the new face of the Rust-eze team at the final race.
Cruz begins as Lightning McQueen's assigned trainer, but she has racing ability of her own. After McQueen recognizes her potential, he encourages her to enter the competition. At the Florida 500, Cruz takes over the race and ultimately defeats Jackson Storm.
The ending changes the professional roles of both characters. Cruz becomes Rust-eze's racer, while McQueen adopts a mentor role and continues racing with a new visual identity inspired by Doc Hudson. This resolution reflects the film's emphasis on passing knowledge to the next generation rather than treating retirement as simple defeat.
Cruz is distinct from Sally Carrera, McQueen's friend and romantic partner, and from Natalie Certain, a racing analyst. Mia is one of the twin fans who appear in the earlier Cars film.