History TearJerker / Cars3

--->'''Lightning''': [[LittleNo No.]] [[RapidFireNo No...No! NO!]] '''[[BigNo ...NO!]]'''

** And then he '''CRASHES'''. Although we see it in the trailers, it's still very traumatizing to watch. The film takes it a step farther by having no music so all we hear is the sound of clashing and screeching metal. When there ''is'' music, it is a eerie violin and horn playing with the sounds of sirens accompanying it. It also doubles as NightmareFuel.

** [[HeroicBSOD Lightning's reaction to Storm's taunt is a bewildered stare as though he's starting to question why he's even still racing at all]]. He quickly comes back to his senses and desperately tries to catch up to Storm and the other two cars that passed him while he was distracted. [[HeroicRROD Not helped at all by [=McQueen's=] heavy breathing, his engine being pushed to it's limits,]] [[SadBattleMusic and the intense swelling music in the background.]]

[[AC:Meta]]
* The deleted scene featuring Doc racing with Lightning [=McQueen=], before collapsing and passing away. It was apparently so sad, that even the creators had to delete this because of how depressing it was. What is worse is that this would have made the whole scene with Primer![=McQueen=] all the more painful to watch because it is '''heavily implied''' he was going through a depression not just what his crash could mean for his career, but also Doc's death in general. And [[RealitySubtext given what happened to Doc's and Lightning's voice actors]] after ''Cars'' was released [[note]]i.e. Creator/PaulNewman's death after a long battle with lung cancer in 2008 and Creator/OwenWilson's suicide attempt and struggle with clinical depression in 2007[[/note]], one may argue that both the deleted scene of Doc's death and the scene with Primer![=McQueen=] sulking in Doc's garage in the final film as a double ActorAllusion(s).
* The Florida 500 went through a lot of revisions before settling on the final story; in one of the versions, Lightning never took part in the race at all, and introduced Cruz as the new #95 in his place. Out of all the alternate endings, this one was quite the most bittersweet; the creators had to ditch it because it felt like Lightning decided to stop racing all together and forego his bet with Sterling. It also felt like the whole story lost all tension and the franchise would end there had it been used.
* Taken up to eleven with the deleted scene “More Than New Paint”. Right before the Florida 500, Sterling refuses to let Lightning race even though they made a deal, because he’s been secretly tracking Cruz’s speeds as well as his. Upon realizing she’s a better racer than him (as he deems he was teaching her), he decided to give his number to her and takes his name off the circuit, resulting in an imminent retirement. Lightning’s number is ripped off, and he is forced to watch in misery as his career finally came to an end. Fortunately, it comes to better grips when Mater and Cruz pull a LoopholeAbuse and give him Doc's original #51 so he can participate after all.

* Taken UpToEleven with the deleted scene “More Than New Paint”. Right before the Florida 500, Sterling refuses to let Lightning race even though they made a deal, because he’s been secretly tracking Cruz’s speeds as well as his. Upon realizing she’s a better racer than him (as he deems he was teaching her), he decided to give his number to her and takes his name off the circuit, resulting in an imminent retirement. Lightning’s number is ripped off, and he is forced to watch in misery as his career finally came to an end. Fortunately, it comes to better grips when Mater and Cruz pull a LoopholeAbuse and give him Doc's original #51 so he can participate after all.

-->'''Lightning''': [[AdultFear No. But, I can't go out on the track and do the same old thing! It won't work!]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2338.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"What should've been a scene of jubilation has turned tragic here today, folks, as we await news on the Hudson Hornet's condition. After such a devastating crash, we can only hope that this race today... wasn't his last."'']]

* After Storm wins the opening race, his victory prompts an increase in Next-Gen racers. Natalie Certain notes that the older-model racers begin retiring or being replaced after every race of the season. By the time we get to the iconic crash scene, [=McQueen=] is the ''only'' old racer on the track. Storm notices this and takes a moment to point Lightning's situation out.

Whether or not you like the ''Cars'' franchise, this movie will be sure to leave you in tears eventually.

--->'''Cruz''': ''Dream small, Cruz''. That’s what my family used to say. ''Dream small, or not at all''. They were just trying to protect me. But I was the fastest kid in town, and I was gonna prove them wrong.