Who is the main new racing rival in Pixar’s Cars 3?

Jackson Storm is the main new racing rival in Pixar’s Cars 3.

Storm is a next-generation race car whose advanced design and training allow him to dominate established racers. His success makes Lightning McQueen question whether experience can compete with newer technology and younger competitors.

Storm’s sleek black-and-blue appearance contrasts with McQueen’s familiar red design. He represents the accelerating modernization of professional racing, while McQueen belongs to an older generation that built its reputation through years of competition.

Jackson Storm is different from Chick Hicks, the primary rival in the first Cars film. He is also not Cal Weathers, who is a member of the wider racing community and has family ties to The King. Storm’s role is central to Cars 3’s story about competition, retirement, mentorship, and change.