History Heartwarming / Cars3

* Lightning clearly was having a great time as a racer at the start of the film. He's cordial with the racers around him, and even among his hottest rivals (before Storm) it's more a FriendlyRivalry rather than what was to come. When Lightning has his big accidents, you briefly see the other racers (which are ((EveryoneHasStandards all next-gen like Storm]]) have looks of horror on their faces.

* Lightning clearly was having a great time as a racer at the start of the film. He's cordial with the racers around him, and even among his hottest rivals (before Storm) it's more a FriendlyRivalry rather than what was to come. When Lightning has his big accidents, you briefly see the other racers have this horror on this face.

* Lightning clearly was having a great time as a racer at the start of the film. He's cordial with the racers around him, and even among his hottest rivals (before Storm) it's more a FriendlyRivalry rather than what was to come.

** There is also a piece of asphalt that was taken from the track where Lightning won his first race. This is also a meta-example as the track was called Glen Ellen, named after the late Glenn [=McQueen=], the Pixar animator that Lightning himself was named after.

!!Meta:
* The entirety of the tie-in book "Lead The Way", in which Lightning is narrating to Cruz and the reader about being a good leader and what comes with it.
* A promo reel shows Lightning and Cruz tire bumping each other. It's cute.
* An ad for Alamo features Lightning and Cruz recounting their favorite parts of the movie, with Cruz saying the phrase "Hashtag (noun)" following each one.
* At the beginning of the deleted scene “More Than New Paint”, Sterling tells Lightning he’s been taken off the racing circuit and [[InsigniaRipOffRitual rips his #95 off]] to give it to Cruz, much to his disappointment. However, the audience still wants to see Lightning race, so Tex has an idea: at the last minute Lightning is given Doc Hudson's colors and #51 under the Dinoco banner, so he can participate in the race after all!
* If one thinks about it, the entire movie can be seen as a tribute to the late Paul Newman, which is fitting considering most, if not ''all'' of the movie focuses on the impact Doc had on Lightning and how he made him a better person- er ''car''.
** Made better that Pixar had ''[[CrazyPrepared 25 hours worth of audio of Paul Newman from the first movie]]'', as a way to give him one last hurrah and making the line "There was a lot left in me" that Doc utters less depressing and more heartwarming considering Newman ''was able to give out one last performance''.

* Mater excitedly cheers on Lightning in all the races in the film. He's clearly having a blast watching his best friend race.
** This is also a heartwarming CallBack to ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', since Mater being at [=McQueen's=] races [[ContinuityNod means that Lightning kept his promise from that movie]].
* A meta-example, but the fact that John Lasseter was insistent on having Creator/PaulNewman reprise his role as Doc, despite his death in 2008, deserves bit of a mention here.
** Pixar had ''twenty-eight'' hours worth of Paul Newman's voice work to use.

** This is also a heartwarming [[CallBack Call Back]] to ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', since Mater being at [=McQueen's=] races [[ContinuityNod means that Lightning kept his promise from that movie]].

* [=McQueen's=] phone call with Mater is very sweet. [=McQueen's=] at a low point, and Mater helps him out just by being Mater. They may not share a ton of screentime in this movie, but what time they ''do'' share really shows how great their friendship is.

* After the Rust-eze brothers leave, Lightning looks around the facility, seeing the large walls of his memorabilia, some of which are CallBacks to the first movie.

'''Lightning:''' Which makes it my last chance...to give you your ''first'' chance Cruz. [[PassingTheTorch This time, I want]] ''[[PassingTheTorch you]]'' [[PassingTheTorch to take it.]]

* The King is Cal's crew chief.

* Right after Lighting crashes, it cuts to his friends who immediately rush over to check on him, with Sally being the first to get to him.

** Lightning brings his friends from Radiator Springs to the places he's visited on his journey, including the Rust-Eze Racing Center, Thunder Hollow, and Thomasville. In the pictures, Lightning's friends are shown trying out the training equipment while Mater gets to take part in the Crazy 8 demolition derby

** This is also a heartwarming [[CallBack Call Back]] to ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', since Mater being at [=McQueen's=] races [[ContinuityNod means that Lightning kept his promise in that movie]].

** This is also a heartwarming [[CallBack Call Back]] to ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', since Mater being at [=McQueen's=] races [[ContinuityNod means that Lightning kept his promise in that movie.

* Lightning [=McQueen=] does a move worthy of his history. He realizes that as much as he wants to stay in the game, Ramirez never got a chance to be a racer, and much like when he gave up the cup to help The King, he gives up his race spot to Ramirez so she can be a real racer now. MID RACE!
* Lightning [=McQueen=], Crew Chief of Dinoco, full circle relationship with Doc Hudson as the self proclaimed "fabulous lightning".

** This is also a heartwarming a [[CallBack Call Back]] to ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', since Mater being at [=McQueen's=] races [[ContinuityNod means that Lightning kept his promise that Mater was coming to all his races from now on]].

* The original Rust-eze brothers sold their company and sponsorship to a richer investor in order to help Lightning [=McQueen=] out and give him the tools they couldn't afford, like a high tech state of the art training facility. Lightning stuck by with them over Dinoco all these years and they're grateful.

* After the Rust-eze brothers leave, Lightning looks around the facility, seeing the large walls of his memorabilia.

** There is also a piece of asphalt that was taken from the track where Lightning won his first race. This is also a meta-example as the track was called Glenn Allen, named after the late Glenn [=McQueen=], the Pixar animator that Lightning himself was named after.
* At the finale, Tex pulls a CutLexLuthorACheck and hires Cruz on the spot and buys out not only [=McQueen=]'s contract, but Rust-eze. No hem, ho ha. The old rich guy whom [=McQueen=] impressed two movies ago drops a hundred million dollars at least to make the movie end on a happy note.

** This extends to the FriendlyRivalry the same next-gens begin with Cruz, showing that she has, finally, gained her racing stripes.

* An ad for Alamo features Lightning and Cruz recounting their favorite parts of the movie, with Cruz saying the phrase "Hastag (noun)" following each one.

* In the original ''Cars'' movie, the interior of [=McQueen's=] trailer was basically [[ItsAllAboutMe a personal shrine to himself]], [[{{Narcissist}} littered with his posters and merchandise on every wall]]. In ''Cars 3'' however, the number of scenes he has inside it shows that his new trailer is now simpler in design, with Carburetor Canyon-inspired wallpaper and a collage of photos from Radiator Springs. On its own from the others is a photograph of Sally and a photograph of Doc as his crew chief. This remains a fine visual representation of [=McQueen's=] CharacterDevelopment and his attachment to Radiator Springs and the people there.

* Right after Lighting crashes, it cuts to his friends who immediately rushes to his side with concerness. Especially Sally who's the first to move to get to him.

** Lightning and Cruz taking a picture with their young fan who was seen earlier.

** Lightning brings the folks from Radiator Springs to the racing center. Mater is shown visiting Doc's hometown and the racing legends finally get to see where the Fabulous Hudson Hornet spent his retirement.

* Smokey showing Lightning a wall of newspaper clippings that Doc had sent him of Lightning's wins. [[spoiler: Doc had isolated himself for 50 years from his friends after he couldn't race and Smokey and co. had no idea where he'd gone. And then Doc started sending letters back home to his old friends, all about Lightning.]]

** [[spoiler: Smokey's words speak volumes of [=McQueen's=] relationship with Doc. Seeing that it's implied, even in the first film, that due to Doc's obsession with racing pre-crash and his isolation afterwards, he likely never settled down. Lightning wasn't just Doc's student. [[LikeASonToMe He was his son]].]]

* Lightning [=McQueen=] does a move worthy of his history. [[spoiler: He realizes that as much as he wants to stay in the game, Ramirez never got a chance to be a racer, and much like when he gave up the cup to help The King, he gives up his race spot to Ramirez so she can be a real racer now. MID RACE!]]
* Lightning [=McQueen=], [[spoiler: Crew Chief of Dinoco, full circle relationship with Doc Hudson as the self proclaimed "fabulous lightning"]].
** Not only that, but [[spoiler:Lightning has finally, albeit circuitously, gotten his wish to join Dinoco's racing team. He may not be driving for them, but that he finally gets to wear the blue feels like a final reward for those who followed him from the beginning.]]
** Cruz is [[spoiler: wearing Doc Hudson's number. Smokey says it was Lightning's idea. It speaks volumes about how much Lightning thinks of Cruz. And between his own paint job and her number, he's making sure that his mentor's memory lives on in racing.]]

** [[spoiler:Lightning and Cruz taking a picture with their young fan who was seen earlier.]]
** Cruz [[spoiler:seen with a number of trophies inside her new trailer; looks like she ''has'' found her place.]]