Cars 3 is the 2017 Pixar film that continues Lightning McQueen's story.
The film follows Lightning after a new generation of faster racers threatens his place in professional racing. Jackson Storm's success causes Lightning to confront questions about age, preparation, competition, and what a champion's legacy should mean.
Cars 3 was directed by Brian Fee in his feature-directing debut. It returned the story to a more character-focused racing narrative after Cars 2's international spy adventure. Lightning trains with Cruz Ramirez, studies Doc Hudson's history, and prepares for a decisive race.
The title is easy to distinguish from Cars 2, which was released in 2011 and centered on the World Grand Prix. Cars 3 was released in 2017 as the third feature film in the Cars series. It does not establish Cars 4 as the title of a released feature film.