Cars 3 features Lightning McQueen competing against Jackson Storm.
Jackson Storm is a technologically advanced next-generation racer who quickly defeats established competitors. His success forces Lightning to confront the possibility that experience alone may no longer be enough to keep him at the top of the Piston Cup circuit.
Lightning trains with Cruz Ramirez and returns to racing with help from friends and lessons connected to Doc Hudson. The film’s central conflict is not simply old versus new technology; it also concerns mentorship, confidence, and deciding how a champion can contribute when competition changes.
Cars 3 was released in 2017 and was directed by Brian Fee. Jackson Storm is voiced by Armie Hammer, while Lightning McQueen is voiced by Owen Wilson. The characters do not appear as the main racing rivals in Cars 2, whose plot centers on the World Grand Prix and espionage.