Cars 3 features Cruz Ramirez as Lightning McQueen’s trainer.
Cruz begins as a high-performance trainer at the Rust-eze Racing Center. She helps McQueen prepare for competition against Jackson Storm, whose speed and technology have made the older racer’s traditional methods seem outdated.
The relationship develops beyond a simple coach-and-student arrangement. Cruz has racing ambitions of her own, and McQueen eventually recognizes that her talent should not be limited to training someone else. Their partnership becomes central to the film’s ideas about mentorship, confidence, and passing opportunities to a new generation.
Cars 2 does not include Cruz Ramirez, and Cars on the Road is a later Disney+ series rather than the feature that introduces her. Cristela Alonzo provides Cruz’s voice in Cars 3 and later Cars-related projects.