Which car is Lightning McQueen’s chief new rival in Pixar’s Cars 3?

Jackson Storm is Lightning McQueen’s chief new rival in Pixar’s Cars 3.

Storm is a next-generation race car whose advanced design, training, and data-driven performance make him faster than many older competitors. He represents a changing era in racing, where established champions face highly optimized newcomers. His appearance is dark blue with black details, contrasting with McQueen’s red paint.

At the beginning of Cars 3, McQueen remains a successful racer but struggles to match the speed of the new generation. Storm’s victories help convince McQueen that he must adapt rather than rely only on his past achievements. McQueen then trains with Cruz Ramirez, a racing trainer and simulator specialist.

Storm is voiced by Armie Hammer. He is not the same rival as Chick Hicks, who competes with McQueen in the first film, or Francesco Bernoulli, the Italian racer in Cars 2. Cars 3 was directed by Brian Fee and released in 2017.