Pixar's third feature film in the Cars series, Cars 3, was released in 2017.
Cars 3 was directed by Brian Fee, who had previously worked as a storyboard artist on Pixar films. The film follows Lightning McQueen as a new generation of technologically advanced racers threatens his position in the sport. Jackson Storm, voiced by Armie Hammer, becomes the leading symbol of that new generation.
McQueen trains with Cruz Ramirez at the Rust-eze Racing Center and later learns from Smokey, a former associate of Doc Hudson. The story focuses on aging, mentorship, adaptation, and deciding what a champion's future can look like.
Cars 3 premiered in the United States on June 16, 2017. It was marketed as a return to the character-driven racing drama of the original film after the more internationally oriented Cars 2.