He’s sleek. He’s fast. Honestly, Jackson Storm in Cars 3 is kind of a jerk, but that is exactly why he works so well as the foil to Lightning McQueen’s aging legacy. When we first saw that sharp, carbon-fiber silhouette pull up next to #95, it wasn't just another race. It was a funeral for an era.
Storm represents the inevitable. You know that feeling when you realize the world has moved on without you? That’s what this character is. He isn’t just a faster car; he is a literal personification of the "New Gen" tech that turned the Piston Cup upside down.
What Makes Jackson Storm So Different?
Most people think Jackson Storm in Cars 3 is just a repaint of Chick Hicks or Francesco Bernoulli. He isn't. Chick was a cheater. Francesco was an egoist. Storm? Storm is a product. He was literally built in a lab—or at least, he feels that way.
According to Pixar’s creative team, led by director Brian Fee, Storm was designed to make McQueen look "old." If you look at their shapes side-by-side, McQueen is round, curvy, and based on early 2000s stock cars. Storm is all sharp angles and low profiles. He’s a 2017 Next-Gen Custom Racer. Specifically, he’s powered by a V8 engine pushing 850 horsepower. That lets him hit 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds. McQueen can’t touch those numbers anymore.
The Technical Specs of a Menace
Let’s talk about the build. Storm has a carbon fiber and metal composite body. His drag coefficient is absurdly low. While McQueen is out there on dirt tracks getting "turn right to go left" advice from Doc Hudson’s ghost, Storm is plugged into a high-tech flight simulator.
He doesn't even "drive" in the traditional sense. He calculates.
He’s a 2.0. A patch note. A software update that deleted the previous version. It’s kinda cold when you think about it. He doesn't hate McQueen. He just thinks McQueen is irrelevant. That’s a much deeper burn than an insult.
The Psychological Impact of Jackson Storm in Cars 3
The movie does this great thing where it doesn't make Storm a criminal. He doesn't run people off the road on purpose. He just talks trash. He uses psychological warfare to make Lightning feel like a dinosaur.
"Enjoy your retirement," he says. He isn't being mean; he’s stating what he believes is a fact.
This creates the central conflict of Cars 3. It’s the "Old Guard" versus the "Data-Driven Newcomer." In the real world of NASCAR, we saw this happen. Think about the transition from the rough-and-tumble days of Dale Earnhardt to the precision-engineered dominance of Jimmie Johnson or the young guns like Chase Elliott. The sport changed from a "feel" game to a "physics" game. Jackson Storm is the face of that shift.
Why Storm Never Got a Redemption Arc
Usually, Disney and Pixar love to fix their villains. Not here. Jackson Storm stays a cocky antagonist until the very last frame of the Florida 500. Even when Cruz Ramirez pulls that insane flip over him—which, let’s be real, was technically a bit of a stretch for physics—Storm is still yelling.
He didn't learn a lesson about friendship. He didn't realize that "racing is about the heart." He just lost a race.
This is a bold choice. It makes the threat feel real. If Storm had suddenly become a nice guy, the stakes of the New Gen takeover would have felt cheap. Instead, he remains the benchmark. To beat him, you don't need to change his mind; you have to change the game.
The Design Philosophy Behind the Character
Jay Shuster, the production designer for Cars 3, spent a lot of time making sure Storm looked like he belonged in a wind tunnel. His eyes are lower. His "mouth" (the front intake) is narrower. Everything about him screams efficiency over personality.
When you see Jackson Storm in Cars 3, you're looking at a weapon.
- Color Palette: They chose "Ignite Black" and "Electric Blue." It looks like a smartphone or a gaming PC.
- Sound Design: His engine doesn't rumble like McQueen’s. It whines. It’s a high-frequency, precision-tuned scream.
- The Simulators: While the older cars are out in the sun, Storm is in a dark room with a VR headset (basically). It’s a total culture clash.
Realism Check: Can a Car Really Be That Much Faster?
In the movie, Storm is hitting 214 mph while the rest of the pack is struggling at 190-200. Is that realistic?
💡 You might also like: Don Felder Double Neck Guitar: What Most People Get Wrong
Sorta. In professional racing, a 15-20 mph advantage is massive. It’s a different zip code. If one car had that kind of aerodynamic and horsepower advantage in a real race, the governing body (like NASCAR or FIA) would immediately nerf them with restrictor plates or weight penalties. But in the movie’s world, the Piston Cup was caught off guard. They didn't have rules for cars like Storm yet.
He exploited a gap in the evolution of the sport.
Misconceptions About Storm’s Role
A lot of fans think Storm "retired" McQueen. Technically, McQueen retired himself. Or rather, he transitioned into the "Doc Hudson" role. Storm was just the catalyst.
Another weird theory is that Storm is an electric car. He isn't. The movie explicitly mentions his V8. However, his design is heavily influenced by electric supercars like the NextEV NIO EP9. He represents the aesthetic of the future, even if he’s still burning gas.
The Legacy of the Character
Jackson Storm changed the franchise. He shifted the tone from the globe-trotting spy caper of Cars 2 back to a grounded, almost melancholy story about aging and mentorship. He gave McQueen a reason to grow up. Without Storm, McQueen would have just kept racing until he crashed, never finding a successor in Cruz Ramirez.
How to Appreciate the Nuance of Jackson Storm
To really get what the filmmakers were doing with this character, you have to look past the "bully" trope. He’s a mirror. He shows us exactly what happens when technology outpaces tradition.
- Watch the eyes: Notice how Storm rarely looks at other cars. He’s looking at the line, the data, the apex.
- Listen to the chatter: He uses "bro" and modern slang to distance himself from the "Mr. McQueen" era.
- Analyze the finish: Storm loses because he lacks "dirt track" unpredictability. He’s programmed for the perfect track, not for a car flipping over his head.
Next time you sit down to watch Cars 3, pay attention to the lighting on Storm. He’s almost always shrouded in shadows or harsh artificial LEDs. He’s the "cool" that eventually feels cold. That’s the brilliance of his design. He’s the future, and the future doesn't care about your feelings.