Jackson Storm

Jackson Storm is a custom-built Next-Gen race car who competes in the Piston Cup Racing Series. Following his debut in 2016, Storm proved to be highly talented, hitting top speeds that veteran racers struggled with reaching (210+ mph) Storm's stellar performance sparked interest in the next-generation of racers, and other Piston Cup teams began replacing their veterans with newer, more powerful racers. Storm achieved many wins during his first full season, and set the record for fastest lap of all time at the Florida International Speedway. He is also part of the next generation of high-tech racers. He is a arrogant racer because of his greatness.

Knowing how talented and successful he is, Jackson has a large ego, and disrespects other racers beyond simple trashtalk. One of Storm's biggest rivals was Lightning McQueen, who brutally crashed while attempting to keep up with Storm at the Los Angeles 500. After a long absence, McQueen returned to the Piston Cup for the Florida 500, but decided to switch himself out for Cruz Ramirez, who took advantage of Storm's weaknesses, allowing her to pass him and win the race. His racing number is 20, however, it is designed with the design of 2.0 sponsored by IGNTR to resemble the next-generation.

Cars 3
Jackson Storm is the main antagonist in Cars 3 (although he is not entirely evil). He makes his rookie debut in the Dinoco 400 at the Copper Canyon Speedway. As Lightning McQueen, Bobby Swift, and Cal Weathers are approaching the finish line neck-in-neck, Storm manages to pass all three of them, surprising the three racers, as well as the audience. As Storm drives onto the winners podium to enjoy his victory, Lightning kindly approaches him, congratulating him on a good race. However, Storm responds by expressing his pride in winning, annoying McQueen. The press then arrives to take pictures of the two, and Storm mocks McQueen about his age, while enjoying the opportunity for good press. He then enters his hauler, who drives away, leaving McQueen insulted.

On Chick Hicks' show on the Racing Sports Network, he and Natalie Certain discuss Storm's victory, explaining that Storm is part of the next-generation of high-tech racers, and is capable of incredible things thanks to his next-generation design. Many racing teams take interest in this, and begin firing their old racers in favor of newer, more able next-gen racers. Some do not have the motivation to continue racing against them, and instead choose to simply retire, like Cal Weathers.

Throughout the rest of the season, more and more veterans are replaced by next-gen racers, and by the season's final race at the Los Angeles International Speedway, Lightning McQueen is one of very few traditional racers left. McQueen starts off the race by passing Storm, but Jackson easily moves back ahead. Nonetheless, McQueen is able to stay up with Storm, and the two eventually enter the pits together. McQueen, recognising that his only chance of winning is to get out of the pits before Storm does, barks orders at Guido, and rushes out of the pits. McQueen makes it out before Storm does, and gains the lead. However, Storm quickly overcomes him once again, and as he passes, Jackson again trash-talks McQueen, wishing him a goodretirement. This gets to McQueen, and he begins fading. Determined to continue, Lightning begins pushing himself far past his limits which causes him to completely lose control of himself and hit the wall hard enough to send him airborne and into such a nasty rollover crash. McQueen is then removed from the race and Jackson wins the race, as well as the 2016 Piston Cup.

After a few months of moping around, Lightning finally finds the motivation to start training again to face Storm. He travels to the Rust-eze Racing Center, where he meets teacher Cruz Ramirez, who helps him train. Ramirez puts images of Storm in front of McQueen while he is practising on treadmills, to motivate him. Additionally, when Lightning uses the simulator for the first time, he discovers that Storm is one of the computer racers. After witnessing McQueen's weaker top speeds, Sterling urges him to retire. However, Lightning manages to convince him that if he can beat Storm in the Florida 500, he can continue racing.

Throughout McQueen's training, Storm is continually used as motivation for Lightning. While practicing at Thomasville Speedway, Ramirez dons a costume resembling his appearance.

As the Florida 500 approaches, Jackson continues to practice using a simulator. While using it, Storm passes McQueen, and asks Ray Reverham, his crew chief, why he is in the simulation. Reverham tells Jackson he manually put McQueen in, claiming he needs practice against real competition. Immediately after saying that, they both laugh, completely dismissing McQueen as a threat.

Once Storm arrives at the Florida International Speedway, he takes a practice lap, setting the record for fastest lap of all time. As Lightning watches news this on television, he hears Natalie Certain predict Storm's chances of winning, which are incredibly high.

As McQueen and Ramirez are preparing in the pits, Storm greets Cruz, who is still wearing her Storm costume. He arrogantly offers a picture, and when McQueen interjects, he mocks McQueen over the selling of McQueen-branded mudflaps. Since McQueen did not show up to take practice laps at the speedway, he is required to start dead last. Though a difficult obstacle to overcome, McQueen manages to gradually work his way through the pack. However, while hearing Sterling rudely tell Cruz she is not a racer, Lightning gets the idea to enter her in his place, as she has always dreamed of being a racer, and demonstrated extraordinary abilities during their training.

Though hesitant, Ramirez enters the race as a substitute. She begins working her way up to the front, with McQueen coaching her. As Cruz continues to gain on Storm, Reverham warns him, but Jackson dismisses it up until she takes third place. Recognizing she could actually prove a threat, Storm backs up to Cruz and insults her, telling her she will never be like the other racers. The harsh words get to Cruz, but McQueen builds her back up by explaining that Storm would not have done that if he was not nervous. Using this knowledge, Cruz starts drafting behind Storm, and trashtalks him. Storm loses his focus, and as Cruz moves to pass him, he slams her against the wall. However, Cruz thinks back to how Doc Hudson performed a flip move to get out of a similar situation, and uses the manuever to overcome Storm and win the race.

Cars 3: Driven to Win
Storm is an unlockable playable character in Cars 3: Driven to Win. He is unlocked by completing the Master-level event Jackson Storm Race.

Personality and traits
Storm possesses a large ego, and believes he is representative of his next racing generation as a whole. Knowing full well that he is capable of incredible abilities, Storm tends to take little notice of other competitors, believing they are no threat to him. Many fellow racers view his cocky demeanor as off-putting.

When talking to his competitors, Jackson delivers effective trashtalk, and acts incredibly disrespectful towards them, especially older racers. On the rare occasion that he does recognize a competitor as a threat, he takes the time to insult them, which will often get into their heads.

Storm becomes very angry in times of weakness, and when Cruz Ramirez moved to pass him during the Florida 500, Jackson responded by violently slamming her against a wall.

Physical description
Having been built specifically for racing, Storm's design is quite advanced, and his sleek model was constructed with carbon fiber and metal composite, with the concept of speed in mind. A 2017 Custom built Next-Gen Piston Cup Racer, his chassis is built with hydroformed alloy and steel. His Maximum Performance V-8 engine with 850 horsepower is responsible for his ability to reach 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, as well as his top speed of 214 miles per hour.Storm is painted in a black livery, with his doors sporting a design resembling a thick blue lightning bolt. His sides also feature his racing number, 20, as well as contingency sponsors, including the Piston Cup, Combustr, Carbon Cyber, and SynerG in addition to his own sponsor, IGNTR Liquid Adrenaline.

Appearances

 * Cars 3
 * Cars 3: Driven to Win
 * Huge Galaxy! Huge Adventure! The Movie
 * The Great Engine Hunt

Profiles and statistics

 * Bios
 * "Jackson Storm is fast, sleek and ready to race. A frontrunner in the next generation of racers, Storm's quiet confidence and cocky demeanor are off-putting—but his unmatched speed threatens to redefine the sport. Trained on high-tech simulators that are programmed to perfect technique and maximize velocity, Jackson Storm is literally built to be unbeatable—and he knows it."
 * "Cocky and sure of himself, Jackson Storm is a young Piston Cup rookie with his eyes focused solely on the championship. Coming out of nowhere in the racing world, Storm trained primarily on high-tech simulators. He displays refined technique but little practical wisdom on the track. Winning has come all too easy to Storm, so he's unable to fathom defeat - yet. His overconfidence may be his ultimate downfall."
 * Specifications
 * Top Speed: 214 mph (344 km/h)
 * 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) 3.6 seconds
 * Engine Type: Maximum Performance V-8
 * Power: 850 hp (860 PS, 630 kW)
 * Chassis: Hydrformed alloy & steel
 * Body: Carbon fiber & metal composite

Portrayals

 * Armie Hammer