I never really see this mentioned, but the main reason I think that the alternative ending was better is because it proved everyone at the start of the movie wrong. Cal Weathers said: "You know, I asked my uncle once how I'd know when it was time to stop. You know what he said? 'The youngsters'll tell you.'" That was seen as such a hopeless piece of dialogue, seeing how everything was leading to McQueen being a washed up racer that should just retire. Instead of telling the audience that despite when you're old, all hope is not lost. The movie decides that it was best to prove Cal Weathers' line from the start of the movie. McQueen should just give up on beating Storm and let Cruz do it, because the fight was a lost cause from the start. I think if McQueen won the race and then chose to retire (without even finishing the season) it would be a lot more satisfactory. It would also make a lot more sense for Cruz not to win her very first race. As long as she left a good impression and had fun (, which is also a good lesson for the audience).

I feel like Cars 2 has the most amount of deleted scenes that could have fixed the film, since it has a lot less disjointment, I'm actually planning on fitting Tale Tall and the removed paris race into the remake of the movie

what i liked about the cars 3 alternative ending because it shows mcqueen finally accepting a dinoco sponsership, a reference to the original movie. It would have involved Cruz and Mcqueen and I believe it would have been better as an ending

I don’t dislike Cruz, I think having her end up as a racer is the natural progression of her character (although, coming from a race fan, she isn’t a race car and doesn’t fit into the series at all but it’s fine). I just wish that Lightning hadn’t quit. It’s telling all the kids that watch the movie that if you try really hard to get something but it’s too hard then you should just give up. It doesn’t sit right with me. This movie was an almost perfect love letter to NASCAR history and it’s fans, but the ending ruins all of that

Alternate ending was definitely better, to see him in doc’s paint job with the powered by dinaco would’ve been a great call back to the first film, it is true that fans weren’t ready to say goodbye to mcqueens racing career because we barley saw any of it, we saw him tie with king and chick, we saw him purposely lose to help out king (which I have no problem with) and then he won one race in cars 2, and then see him win a couple in a short montage, so yeah understandably so we didn’t like seeing McQueen give away his number because we didn’t even see him race that much, that was really the problem of cars 2, not focusing on prime McQueen and just mediocre spy stuff with mater. So yeah getting that Dinaco sponsor with the doc Hudson paint job and docs number would’ve been a better ending, if I had it my way I would’ve left it on a cliffhanger where McQueen and Cruz were lined up together side by side a few rows behind Storm at P1 with a couple new gen cars between them, they have a little talk jokingly taunting eachother as they finish up the rolling start, lights or flag go green and we get a a couple seconds of music to our ears as we hear mcqueens V8 pushing up the RPM’s one last time and scene cuts to black, and then it cuts to the original end scene that we got with them all at radiator springs with Cruz and mcqueen racing, if you read all that thanks lmao but yeah, honestly wasn’t a bad ending but not a good ending either

I mean, we NEVER Seen him win a single piston cup....

i just hate how fast the whole conflict is solved in the end, yeah, i will agree mcqueen works as a mentor but the "you started it you win too" just doesnt sit right with me, even racers in real life feel that way, take aric almirola/denny hamlin win in the miwaukee mile in 2007, both won, yet it still left a sour taste in the mouth for everyone, his first win and it wasnt satisfying, mcqueen and almirola won on a tecnicallity, its just upsetting

This would've been way better than the simple reference/cameo at the end. You could even tie back to the first film when McQueen sacrifices the race to help Strip Weathers finish after the crash. How? By having him do really well at first, only to realize that Cruz is WAY behind, so he falls back to coach her into a better spot on the field, and they work together to get to the front of the pack, drafting each other and whatnot. Once they're 2 and 3, they antagonize Jackson together in order to pass him, only it ends with Jackson targeting McQueen because he's the most responsible for his impending downfall. This leads to McQueen telling Cruz to finish the race without him as he's being ground into the wall. Eventually, he ends up doing the Hudson flip, which then enrages Jackson further, so Jackson pulls a page out of Chick Hicks' book and tries to PIT McQueen. But before he can fully spin out of control, we find out that Cruz never took the hint to drive ahead, and she saves McQueen from spinning out. Jack@ss, I mean *Jackson* tries again, but now they're REALLY in sync, so they completely dodge him as he makes a fool of himself by whiffing the bump and spinning out in the infield which leads to Cruz and McQueen taking 1st and 2nd, respectively.

The mentorship theme wouldn't have been diminished *at all* if mcqueen won the race and then switched out with cruz after that. You could just have him name her as his "surprise" replacement in the post race interview, then have a big dramatic reveal that he's the crew chief in the next race, then show a montage of them kicking ass together. Few things feel better to race fans than their guy going out "on top" (or at least doing well) so to do what they did just doesn't work in a movie about racing.

The letters scene was so impactful, I thought it was one of the best moments in all the films. This whole time, Lightning had built up this image of Doc as a pure racer, an old sporting legend, focusing on the achievement. To see Lighting realise that for Doc, passing on his love of racing to him was the most important part of his life, was so heartbreakingly brilliant. I agree, that to have Lightning learn to accept and embrace his role as a mentor was miles more effective for the outcome of the film than to have it forced upon him. It's not perfect, but it's the Cars sequel we deserved - very happy it exists.

This alternate ending would’ve worked just fine, it would’ve showed a story of determination, skill, and overcoming of doubt through your friends help. Also the ending in general is kinda Like a George Forman comeback arc.

I feel like Cars 3’s alternate ending fit an alternate version of Cars 3 that we never got to see.

i never realized how much better cars works in a 2d artstyle

Really love the video. I remember watching this deleted scene for the first time way back, and also was wishing this was the real ending, but looking back, I can actually see the flaws it has. McQueens time is over for racing, but a new beginning for mentoring, I love it. Whatever the next project is, I do hope it is Radiator Springs focus with more sally involvement

I didn't really like the ending. Mostly because, on a charachter basis, I, and I believe most others, are more invested in McQueen. We have been for three movies. For someone like me, who's been a racing fan for years now, McQueen was the first racer I was a fan of. Cars was a large part of why I got into racing in the first place. McQueen is the reason why every time I played Gran Turismo 5, the red flamed 24 NASCAR Chevy Impala was my car of choice. To see him get such an unticlimactic sendoff left a sour taste in the mouth. It was just a mirror image of what happened to Doc. He didn't get to really end his career on his own terms. For me personally, a better ending would be: Lighting completes the race, winning and proving he's not old history. Then A) he decides to retire, and becomes Cruz's manager, using his connections to create his own racing team. B) he chooses to keep racing for Rust Eaze, but still creates his own team for Cruz to race at, and keeps acting like a mentor. C) he ditches Rust Eaze, creates his own team were both he and Cruz race at. I think these endings would be more fitting. Cruz still gets her shot, Lightning still becomes a mentor, but he also completes his career on his own terms.

As someone who grew up with Cars, I hope Cars 4 keeps McQueen as the focus and has a similar feel to the original. Cars 3 was fine but that's about it, nothing terribly special. And I love Cars 2 as a movie despite it not being a great sequel if that makes sense. Anyways, great video! God bless John 3:16-21

I think what most people don't realize is that what the ending for McQueen's career actively reflects the reality of most drivers' career in NASCAR (which was extensively looked into for the development of CARS 3). The closest to seeing a Driver go out in a victory was Jeff Gordon making the final four in 2015 finishing five points behind the champion. Although without the Chase, he would have finished 8th. Tony Stewart, 3 time champion, finished his last season with one win. Dale Jr and Matt Kenseth stepped away at the same time. Matt finished with one win and a seventh place overall. Jr, the most popular driver, finished 21st overall. Of course, we all would like to see a storybook ending. But then the line "You know, I asked my uncle once how I'd know when it was time to stop. You know what he said? 'The youngsters'll tell you" would have no meaning in the movie. Especially considering thats what real life tends to reflect. I feel Cars 3 is a more realistic approach to Lightning's on track career. Specifically having the next generation catch up and surpass you.

Cars 3 was a bittersweet story but its bittersweet with heart. Even though McQueen may not go on to win many more races in the future his racing influence lives on in the person he mentored and will continue to win races with his number that he gave her. It's a story of a legacy living on through its successors. A story that is sad, hopeful and beautiful.

Okay. So. I see this claim brought up from time to time. That the ending we got is fine as is and while the alt is nice it doesn't fit. Simply put. With all due respect. That's just not true. I know everybody has their opinions but sometimes a claim is just inaccurate. And in order to not just be another voice on youtube going "Rah Mcqueen ending better. Cruz sucks." I'm gonna break it down and address a few things. 1. 3:20 Actually, that's not true. There is a video showing the ending of the race. Mcqueen was gonna outdraft storm and win. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Ztafq8WHlq-1onU.htmlsi=ZTEKCEXxSgTPRHGe 2. 4:10 I have to strongly disagree. I'm sorry but the ending we got is just meh at best for Mcqueen as a character. First of all just think about it like this. In the first film Mcqueen giving up his victory works well for the story. But then we get to cars 2 and we see Mcqueen win one race with the story not even focusing on him AND the world grand prix never even being concluded to have a victor. And finally we have cars 3. Mcqueen in the end doesn't even finish the race. He doesn't overcome the big challenge and is forced to pass on as a racer. (Which i'll get into later) So we're supposed to believe Mcqueen is some great champion yet we never actually see him overcome any obstacle for victory or actually be a champion? Come on man. That doesn't work for the character at all. Plus, this ending literally still has cruz race. So it takes nothing away from her, and all it does is give Mcqueen what he should've had instead of just claiming he's so great with no on screen wins to back it up. It works better for him. Imagine if every movie ended like rocky 1. After a while it'd just get annoying to never see him win. 3. On top of that. The simple fact Mcqueen (according to both the ending we got and cars on the road) is still a racer completely negates all of that and makes the ending we got pointless. 4. 4:20 It's also because they actively advertised that as the film. If they hadn't made damn near every piece of promotional material about Mcqueen vs storm the reaction would be different. Outside of every poster showing Mcqueen we got posters of MCqueen vs storm talking about "it's on". Not to mention the freaking trailers. The cars 3 official US trailer. Just read the words in it. "One last chance. One more dream. This summer, it's not over, until lightning strikes." Cars 3 "Rivalry" Official Trailer "When they say your time is up. It's time to make your move." Don't make nearly every piece of advertisement about Mcqueen's comeback and facing storm just to have him not even race storm in the end. That's just some crap man. They sold us on one movie then gave us another one. 5. 4:52 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d6mKfs1lxtDQd6s.htmlsi=3pzq8qY4ZTiQouOM They're all connected. It's an earlier version of the film. He says it at 0:35. And if you watch the whole thing that's why the mentorship claim doesn't hold up. The point wasn't about mentorship. The ending you see here isn't meant to serve that. They state in the video I sent that it felt like a lot of endings they'd seen before. 6. 5:08 This claim doesn't work. People say this like Mcqueen didn't choose to race for dinoco. He was given an option, retire or race. And he chose to race.

I think the main reason we have issues with the ending of cars 3 is because we never had a movie with lightning winning that wasnt overshadowed by the rest of the movie. Cars 1 had him sacrifice his win and in cars 2 the race is an afterthought so it doesnt feel special or anything. So in cars 3 we are yet again robbed of a good victory beyond the montage at the beggining that doesnt feel impactful in any way. Had cars 2 focused on the race and he had won it without all the shenanigans, i think people would have accepted cars 3 a lot more than they do currently.

So assuming the deleted scenario was kept, this is how the race should have gone: -Option 1: Storm leads the race but is scared of losing to McQueen and Cruz who are a little bit behind. Because of this, he decides not to pit for new tires. On the last lap, he gets a puncture. The film ends as Storm, Cruz and McQueen all come across the line and the same time. Then it goes black. -Option 2: McQueen and Storm are in a battle for the win with Cruz a little bit behind. Storm does not want to lose and hits McQueen which makes Lightning crash. Because of this, Storm loses momentum and Cruz passes him on her way to the chequered flag. Then she brakes as hard as she can and stops before the finish line. Storm wins the race. Cruz drives back to where McQueen is and bumps him to the finish line while she says “a Queen should finish his last race”

I honestly like this deleted scene, but I think what they went with in the end was the better ending. It fit the whole point of the story better.

This is why my Pixar idea Alien Sports doesn’t give the main character a mentor for getting the 15 aliens into the nba

I understand the point made, but I would prefer the alternative. I would've prefered to see Lightning win one last race, not splitting it with Cruz

I honestly think that the reason people prefer the deleted ending is that the film never gave Cruz enough time for her to grow as a character. If the film focused more on fleshing her out as a character, it would've given audiences a reason to like her. It would've also given Lightning a more integral role in the story, signifying the closure of his character arc as he passes down the torch to Cruz and becomes her mentor like Doc did for him.

I'm not sure about that alternative ending. It doesn't make sense for Sterling to do a 180 and go from Cruz the Trainer to Cruz the Racer. That would essentially require a rewriting of the way Sterling views Cruz for the rest of the film.

I feel like the other ending could've worked out better. The forceful replacement would create tension between them, a rivalry that would resolve in him getting to race her proper and with stakes, and realising that in the end it wasn't her who mentored him- it was him who mentored her to be a great racer. He doesn't have to win it, he can come second to her or even third to her and Storm in a close race, as long as he goes from having an egoistical desire to prove himself to pride in someone else it's a much stronger ending and message than what we got. And makes a lot more sense.

I think my main issue with the ending of Cars 3 is that Lightning only reached out to Cruz once he realized he didn’t have a chance at winning. I know he didn’t do it out of selfish means, but it leaves a weird taste in my mouth. I think it would have been much stronger if he had a moment maybe right before the race where he realized this isn’t even what he wanted anymore and had Cruz race it all herself.

I liked cars 3 But i feel the deleted final scene conected more to me becauss i grow up with the cars saga watching the first one as a kid so if it is to end i would like to see the guy i am connected with have he finak time in the spotlight and I did't got enough time with cruz to get connected all i know is that she wanted to race and they said no and she accepted and became a trainer we saw mcqueen seeing he is not in his prime and suffering to accept that i jusf feel mcqueen did't get his final time in the spotlight and just accepted the role close to that liks cruz when denied to race

I guess I should clarify. I like the idea of McQueen adopting number 51 for that last race.

While I still liked the ending we got, there was something about the deleted ending that just struck a chord with me. I really think they should've gone for a middle ground with both endings having it where Mcqueen beats Storm in the race but ultimately decides to take the Crew Chief role for Cruz kinda like Doc did for Mcqueen at the end of the first film.

I had an idea for an ending where Lightning loses his number to Cruise but still enters the race where he would pass up Storm and just as he was about to win the race Cruise would ultimately passes up both of them as he is just not fast enough and she'd win the race. Lightning would get to prove himself for the finale time and perhaps not be able to go that fast again but he'd get to pass the torch onto Cruise and finally accept that there will always be someone faster unlike Storm.

Honestly, you can have your cake and eat it to. Have cruz win, have McQueen race on his own. McQueen wins by proving that he was faster than all the next gens he’d have to have raced normally, and Cruz beats him, so he doesn’t truly win the race. It *works*

There are things like I like about the alternate, and there are things I prefer with the final product. I'd argue Pixar made the right call with how they handled it similar to how you did. Great video.

I think the alternate ending is more fitting because it is more in characters, yes over the course of the movie Lightning became more and more like Doc Hudson used to be, but the only difference should have been that unlike Doc he would get the chance to prove everyone wrong. The entire movie is Lighting becoming Doc both as a racer and as a mentor figure to Cruz, but personally it is more in character to have your hard work pay off regardless of what some suit would say, beating the odds is always the best thing someone can do. Him just letting Cruz do the rest of the race after all that hard work just send the wrong message to me and honestly its kinda suggestive of what Disney would eventually become.

I used to like the deleted scene but...cruise being mentored and having Mcqueen as her cheif just made more sense. I agree completely with your take.

Imagine if he makes a comeback in cars 4

I have an 8 year old ukulele student who after 5 months of playing is playing as well, and in some cases better than I did after 3 years of playing. I also substituted for this 14 year old guitarist who in just one year is playing crazy metal solos, and his fingers move as fast as mine did after like 8 years of playing lol. Some people just got it. I may be a 25 year old boomer, but I still have a ton of tricks, techniques, and experience that I can teach to help make my students as great of players as possible, while still learning myself. I'm obviously biased but based on my experience I love the ending. I don't think McQueen gave up on racing and honing his craft just as Doc didn't. He just found another way to appreciate the sport even more. I've gotten so much better at music since I started teaching. Maybe it'll make McQueen an even better racer.

I don't agree that this doesn't fit the film's theme. The themes in this film are actually more open handed than people give it credit, most people say it's about mcqueen becoming a mentor, but in reality that's most just the ending of the film, to me the themes are more about the legacy we leave behind. This fits the movie way more and all the scenes with doc Hudson can be seen as more of a story of legacy than a story about mcqueen becoming a mentor. I think giving mcqueen the opportunity to race one last time and actually win for the first time on screen would have been amazing and him doing it with hudson's number chef's kiss, i think this does fit the theme of legacy especially because he gives up at first and only does it as a last hurrah for the cheering crowd. In the end he could have retired and allowed his legacy and hudson's legacy to live forever while alos becoming a mentor for cruise.

The canon one we got was better for many reasons. A: Just because he got hudson's name doesnt mean he'd win! yeah it would be poetic but it doesnt make sense even with the "smarter not faster" mentality, it was show through Cruiz. B: Lightning looks up to Hudson, Hudson was a racer turned mentor, and Lightning was a racer turned mentor. Lightning wants to be like him, and when he knows its time to pass the torch and know lightning knows when to pass the torch. Lightning getting back in the race and wining completely goes against the 3rd movie's plot, Even IF it was cool for him to win with 51. C: The thing is.... BOTH endings are the same! Cruiz got 95 and is winning and Lightning got the Fabulous Mcqueen, he didnt win with it, YET but him getting/becoming Doc is the same idea between both, the only difference is Lightning becoming the mentor for 95, he's still racing! just with fabulous mcqueen instead of 51 cuz he wouldve still lost with 51 on his body, dinoco is only the brand, Doc is what matters.

I think my issue with the scene we got is that Cruz wins in her very first start. It feels a bit much to me. She comes in at the back of the field, halfway through the race, with almost no experience racing against a full field of drivers, and is able to work her way through and win against a guy who completely dominated the latter half of the previous season. I appreciate the fact that Lighting is there to guide her and help her rely on the things they’ve been working on throughout the story, it makes it a bit more believable, but to enter what I assume to be the equivalent of the NASCAR Cup series (NASCAR’s highest league) and win in your first race is a bit much. Good coaching can only go so far.

We NEED a Cars What If and all these deleted scenes worked out officially. I know that this multiverse style wouldn't fit Cars so much, but still, all these deleted scenes and alternate endings have so much potential!

I feel that it's more appropriate for McQueen to retire, 11 years and 7 Pistons Cups makes hime quite the decorated racers. Hime transitioning into the mentor role is coinciding with the audience. Many of us were kids when we started watching cars, and some of us have kids of our own, and we the audience, have moved into a mentor like role just McQueen is.

How I'd like the race after this to go: Lightning and Cruz race through mid-pack with storm somewhat ahead, and eventually end up with storm, lightning, then cruz as storm blows his tires just before the line, forcing lightning to swerve and leading to a Tie-by-tongue like in the first movie. Thereby we come full circle, the final race of movie 3 matching the opening of movie 1.

i just wanna see it fully rendered and animated

I think the original ending works, I would just change one ☝️ thing when lighting McQueen is on the track, make him easily beat storm before McQueen switches to Cruz, this would tell the audience that yes McQueen could have beaten the race, but decided not to, and the confrontation with storm could’ve been even better as he gets frustrated at the fact that lightning is mocking him by introducing a new contestant! You could even see lightning enjoying beating storm until the realisation of what he could do (for the next generation).

I preferred this ending. Hot take, I know, but let me explain. The movie has heavy themes of legacy and retirement. As someone already stated, there is a scene that proves how Lightning isn't cut out for this anymore, that scene being when he passed Cruz in training only to be immediately passed again. These movies took place over a very long amount of time, and despite not appearing older, Lightning aged. We see as much with Doc. He is a car, and therefor doesn't change in appearance as he ages, but you can tell from Paul Newman's brilliant voicework in the first movie that he is getting old despite having that spark inside of him. Lightning wasn't able to compete against racers in better condition, and accepted that he wasn't cut out for it anymore. I feel that Lightning wanted to keep it simple like Doc did and to simply coach without a lable attatched to the face, and that kind of simplicity is something I respect deeply. Reminds me of my own grandpa in a way. He keeps things simple, and I can see how happy he is.

I think the movie as it is was good but I would have preferred to see a movie with lighting winning as it would have better thematically with doc and with the ending of the first movie. It would also be a lot more interesting to see a race between hotshot rookie and clever veteran instead of young racer vs young racer

What people in the comments don't get is the point of all the cars films, winning is not everything in a racer's life. I myself do karting and drifting, I know what motivates a racer to win, but the point of the films is to realize that life is bigger than your accomplishments. Giving a chance for Cruz to win is much more fitting to the thematics of the original movie.

I like the alternate ending better.

I get the nostalgia of him getting the dinoco sponsorship as us fans have been waiting for since the first movie, but I agree with the video, I prefer the final product, it just completed the Lightning's character development, him giving up his number willingly to cruz, and him going up to the crew chief stand is just iconic and completes everything about the development of Lightning.

Personally, I don't think the main reason for Cars 3's ending being unsatisfying was Cruz beating Storm instead of Lightning. The movie was thematically leading up to Lightning having to pass on the torch of racing to someone else; the whole idea of the first 15 minutes of the movie was that Lightning was grappling with following in Doc's footsteps of his career ending because of his crash. Not only this, but Lightning can't race forever, which is why I don't think Lightning beating Storm would be all that emotionally satisfying. The reality is that he HAS to be done racing at some point (just like how Andy had to give up the toys in Toy Story 3). The inevitability of change is what the movie is fundamentally about. So I don't think Lightning needed to beat Storm himself. The real problem, in my view, is that Cruz's character as she was presented in Cars 3 wasn't developed or fleshed out well enough for the ending with her beating Storm to be emotionally satisfying. And I think there's one key way to remedy this: revealing Cruz to have a deep admiration for Doc. Then, there could've been a combination of elements between the Cars 3 we got and "More Than New Paint." If Cruz was introduced as the Fabulous Cruz Ramirez, this could've acted as a sort of protest to Sterling's plan to make her the next Lightning for the "brand," instead making her the next Doc. This also would've made Cruz's flip over Storm be a thousand times more thematically brilliant, essentially having her execute the greatest maneuver of her life-long idol. I think all of this put together would succeed in making the movie what it really attempted to be. I'd love to hear people's opinions on my take and ideas.

They didn't even bother to set up Cruz to be a racer and just shoved it all in the end. Her top speed was much lower than Storm, she was scared of racing and had little confidence. The whole movie was setting up if McQueen could use his last chance to keep racing and he didn't even finish it. He literally said "C'mon Cruz you can do it" and every plot point they made about her disappeared and she magically won. But McQueen said "Hey I will keep racing too so Disney can use my popularity and likeness to keep the Franchise alive." They could've passed on the legacy before the race so it would've made sense. But no, they kept it until the end because if they didn't, this would be a movie about Cruz which would make McQueen a side character. They know they can't do that because their writing is so shit that they need these characters to keep the franchise alive. You know what? It is not us that needs to let go of McQueen, it is Disney. They needed to bring a satisfying end to his but they just could not let go. Because McQueen IS the entire franchise. They turned him into that in the last movie so they can milk his likeness even more. They could make serious spinoffs about the other characters in cars, a lot of interesting shows and movies. But they lack the planning and writing to do that.

Kachow !!! Awesome video

I would adore to watch this alternate Cars 3

I can go either way, but I lean toward the deleted scene. Part of being a good mentor is teaching your protegees to not make the same mistakes you made. After Doc got fixed up from his huge crash, the people he raced for told him he was history and to go behind the next rookie in line. Although Doc was correct to say they gave up on him, he gave up on himself as well. He should have fought to get back into the track and not let the criticism get to him. I like Mcqueen becoming Cruz's crew chief in the future, but Mcqueen needs to retire when he is ready to move on to the next stage in his life.

This is my head cannon ending

I wish the ending was McQueen won the race against Storm, but to his breaking point, like he can still race but not at 100% anymore. At the end, he realises he can't push himself anymore so he choose to retire. Now Sterling doesn't have control over him anymore and he trains Cruz. Though I wish Cruz was a male characters because the racers are all male and McQueen is able to see himself through Cruz. Tbh it doesn't matter, it just felt a little bit strange. And I wish Cruz's car looked more like the new gen racers so it's more believable.

what if during the alternate final race, cruz is winning with storm and mcqueen in second and third. storm tries to sabotage cruz and mcqueen takes first, he flashes back to the california race from cars 1. mcqueen then does something to stop storm from hurting cruz, while sacrificing his win in the process. definitely rough and need’s workshopping, but it could be good imo

loved cars 3 and every bit of, tho it made me feel really old seeing lightning's story ending like that. felt like a full circle

I think the original scene makes sense, but the final scene showing he will continue racing kinda nullifies it. Like him accepting that he cant do this anymore but can still enjoy racing by mentoring and coaching is really interesting but they didnt fully commit

My Biggest problem with the ending they went with is that I wished they went all out on McQueen being a mentor. I would have loved it better if McQueen gave his spot to Cruz and Cruz permanently raced for rustez while McQueen retired and put his love into racing by mentoring Cruz like doc did with him. If they wanted McQueen to keep on racing I feel like the alternative ending would have been way better, but for me the fact that they don’t go full into McQueen being a mentor and still have him race rubs me the wrong way idk

I still have to say that the alternate ending is so satisfying. We see such a major growth in Lightning, when he was able to accept that Cruz should take the chance to be a race, even if that means he won't be racing anymore. Before, everything was about him, needing to get better, so he could win the race against Storm. Along the way he realized, that it's not, and it's a lesson he kinda learns again, since he had in the first movie already, but this is something else, because his way of letting go, was finite. There was no other chance later (or he didn't know there would be). I find it great that we saw first, how Lighting was actually having such a serious and important moment, only for it to be paid back. I find it a good decision, that Lightning then got the sponsorship from Dinoco, because it ties back to the first movie. He was really deserving of someone getting to him and picking him up again, after he had been picking up others when they needed it (King/Cruz). It's also great that they then ended the movie with an open ending. It gives all viewers the possibility to decide, what they see fit and that's such a good move, since that can satisfy anyone that has been watching all three movies, following McQueen on his path and then deciding, will he win or will he not? What happens after? Missed opportunity, but it is what it is

honestly, would've preferred this over what we got. all it did was prove that one car right, that lighting is a washed up hazbin and should just give up. her wining what's satisfying at all. i liked the movie but the ending just didn't feel satisfying. lighting should've beat the car. instead, he was proven right and lost to a newer car.

For me the problem isn't that Cruise finished the race instead of Lightning, the problem is that the way they get her in the race in the first place is just so rushed. I'm still not sure what kind of a rule "you can have multiple cars if they share the same number" is, or "if you drove part of the race you both win all of the race." Clearly, this ending needed more time in the oven. More time is the main thing that would've fixed it, not changing the character who won the race.

This whole thing while it's something I would definitely like to see I'm more happier with the idea of what they went with because if they went with what the fans like I would have said a bit but instead of taking 1st place it takes 3rd place is rival at the beginning of the first act taking 2nd and the one he mentored taking 1st

Man Disney made a big mistake not putting this in the movie a happy ending for lightning McQueen and he finally beats Jackson storm for real and makes sterling look like a idiot

The problem here would have made McQueen compete with Cruise, and it’s much better in the final film to have him step down to let her race. I do like the idea though as letting McQueen win the race in his own pricing the training worked, but he realizes his much effort it took and how he’s overstayed his welcome regardless, and tells Ctuise she should take the 95 in future races as the mentorship continues.

alonso is still racing

cars 2 were the best, wish for more

the final ending is better, he realises that his life isn't just about racing, and cruz has waited her whole life to become a racer, and this is likely her one chance, and he sees the potential in cruz and puts her out there in the alternate ending, sterling seeing something in cruz is a lot worse that mcqueen seeing it, and mcqueen entering the race would confuse the audience, no one would know who to root for, and if cruz didn't fully take up the mantle from lightning mcqueen, what's the point of her character?

i feel like the alternate ending would be similar to the original one , but instead of Macqueen giving up the first place it would be Cruz who would help him finish his last race, i think it would tie nicely to the story and a fitting end to macqueen , teaching his student the leasson that he learned on the first movie of winning not being the only thing that matters.

But with cars 4 coming out I feel like the alternate ending makes more sense plus McQueen in dinoco blue just feels right its like lewis Hamilton going to ferrari

Not only do I think the alternate ending of Cars 3 is better, but it would’ve made Lightnings story arch more symbolic to what Doc Hudson said to him from the first movie. “They quit on me. When I finally got put back together, I went back expecting a big welcome. You know what they said? ‘Your history’ moved right on to the next rookie standing in line. There was a lot left in me… I never got a chance to show them” And Lightning wearing the Hudson Hornet Livery would have made this ending so much more beautiful. Disney unfortunately missed such an opportunity to do something like that.

I think they should make Cars 4, the definitive end to Lightning McQueen and his Legacy, but also technically Cars 3 didn’t end McQueen because he kept racing afterwards, so a definitive end to his career and legacy would be the best. Make Cars 4 Please Pixar, along with The Incredibles 3, and Wall-E 2

Whatever the ending, it would've been a bad end to the trilogy if he just raced and had another victory under his belt

The thing I didn’t like about cars 3 was he didn’t finish the race, and let Cruz take the victory. Now I don’t have issues with Cruz winning. That part was fine, she was clearly ahead of lightning and showed promise during the training so having her win was not a bad idea at all. But the original ending leaves hope for Cruz winning AND lightning proving storm wrong, with lightning getting second place and cruz winning. They could’ve done this and it would’ve fit really well. Hell, I would’ve even been fine with lightning getting third place if it meant that lightning proved that he still had it in him.

I think the alternate ending would've been him and Cruz keeping up and passing everyone, but on the last lap as McQueen is about to win, he takes a second to think, and he realizes that him keeping up and still passing everyone is a win on its own. As he comes to the realization he pulls back and let's Cruz take the win. He would come to terms that even though he can keep up, it probably is high time for him to retire.

I like it because it ties back into the first movie, and gives Doc as well as Paul Newman a proper tribute in the movie. It would give the Hudson Hornet his last race as well as allowing cruz to have the spotlight. I would hope that McQueen would be giving her advice on the track rather than on the sideline and give a sendoff that allows cruz to surpass him, allowing McQueen to retire as #51 and finish the race how doc couldn’t. I think it would give a proper sendoff to all the characters, making McQueen a stronger character and making cruz significantly more like able Hell even having McQueen become a off season trainer keeping him involved in racing but not as a competitor and more than a crew chief

I'd have liked to see a middle ground. Have it still be McQueen's choice, but also have him sporting Hudson's paint job and racing for Dinoco. Him carrying on Hudson's legacy would have been a cool thing to see, and would have really brought the overall series narrative full circle. Even if it wasn't his time to shine in the spotlight anymore and it's the next generation's turn for a chance to shine, just having him participate in one last race in honor of Hudson would have been such an incredible touch.

Nobody knows the finish to the alternate ending as you said 🤷🏼‍♂️ maybe Lightning goes out there, realizes he can’t beat Storm, and then helps Cruz beat him on track. We would still see Lightning become the mentor, but he also gets to do it while racing instead of quitting with the lazy writing of ‘he still won cus he started the race’ Alternate ending for the win imo

I believe to have this scene work for an ending would be to have McQueen and Cruiz head to head and McQueen realises that he has become what doc was to him, when he slows down to allow Cruiz to win the race.

I feel like the pessimistic outlook of the chosen ending is what gets people down. The whole time people are saying he's past his prime, and after a whole movie of hard work and dedication the moral is... they're right? It was a waste of time and he should've passed the torch to someone with better potential? Sure it's a fact that athletes are generally considered past their prime before 40, but for a kid's movie (let's be honest here) the lesson doesn't fit what the target audience would need to learn. This is a moral ending for baby boomers that can't accept that they can entrust the future generation to handle things from here on out, not children that should understand that hard work and determination is something to strive for. If they had to, I'd see an ending where neither Lightning nor Storm place 1st, but through application of training and experience Lightning is able to keep Storm from making gains and keep a lead on him specifically, maybe even having a situation where he takes advantage of Storm trying to off Cruz and saving her so she gets the win. That way it shows that putting in effort and making fewer mistakes can pay off even against people that on paper are just better. Then we can have our moment where he acknowledges that he's on his way out and passes the torch officially, maybe cut to the point totals for all of the races with a quick explanation that after all's said and done he's still in a good spot for the season going forward. The cut scene might not have been perfect, but both definitely could have been done better.

I really think that would have been the best ending. Especially if the left it ambiguous as to who was going to win.

Having McQueen give up his spot but then being picked up by dynaco. Them having more experience with older cars could give him just the boost he needs to compete for another season. I mean it would be nice to see him go out on a win.

I think they cut out the alternate ending because it felt like the last movie of the cars franchise other than trying to choose who should actually win the race. Its a scene reserved for the grand finale of Mcqueen. Literally just 3 movies in and not one we see Lightning won one race from something he has a problem at mainly because Pixar saw it as a cliche hero plot. Probably the sequel will finally show Mcqueen winning a race, as well as getting upgraded.

McQueen's story line is finished, so for me, what I want Cars 4 be is a world-building to be shown. The one left with Cars 2. Either a stand-alone, "Mater Tale-esque" story telling. Wouldn't be great seeing McQueen retired, travelling the world with Sally and enjoying his life and seeing the racing community look up to him and emulate his growth regardless of racing differences. Or Mater being a fully-pledged super spy, going to South China Sea, stopping a world domination plan created by a news mogul. The characters are already established, but the world they're in still leaves us with questions and that alone gives so much material to work on for Cars 4.

Would love to see a spin off about the street racer cars

Is it possible for Cars4 to have a story about Mcqueen in his peak racing career? Maybe the story takes place between Cars1 and 2

For me, I loved the fact that Cars-3 ended with Lightning basically losing... ...because that is what will eventually happen to ALL OF US. Having him win at the end will undermine his own journey.

I will say this: In terms of when it was said that people aren’t ready to let go of Lightning McQueen and his career, it’s very true. But I also understand why they went with the final product ending for that film. Now, in my opinion: I prefer the alternate ending not because I’m one of those people that can’t let go of Lightning. I understand that the studio has to move on to new characters and other and newer characters have their story to tell. I prefer the alternate ending because of one major factor: Lightning in that film got the chance Doc never got. Similarly in some ways, this could be also the case for a few nascar drivers irl. I believe it was said that John Lasseter actually was partially inspired by Jeff Gordon and what he went through at one point in his career and it became one of the inspirations for the film. Lightning being an old-Gen model competing with the newer generation of racers mirrors the one line Doc said in regret in the first Cars movie: “There was so much left in me. I never got a chance to show them.” Lightning in the film similarly goes through almost the same thing Doc went through but with the ending, he did have the chance to show them but he let Cruz have her shot. I also understand as well that Lightning at this point is a veteran and in his mind, “It’s just an empty cup” now that he’s won so many and the euphoria has become common. Because of the Deep ties and meaning to the alternate ending, I wouldve preferred it over the one we have but I understand why they went with the one we got in Cars 3 and the meaning behind it nonetheless and I appreciate both outcomes.

I like the movie ending more, we always focus on winning and getting what we want and that can be a painful message for though who cant follow their dreams from old age or injury etc some times we have to come to terms with oit abilities and that doesnt have to be a bad thing or our dreams can change. Lightning cane to terms that its not a bad thing to retire, he realised that he could be something greater and help someone else achieve their dreams. Not everyone gets to succeed but that doesnt mean they cant be happy, fuffiled and make a difference

This is way better than the original

The current ending is great. McQueen actually grows in this.

I didn’t have too much of a problem with the original ending; it shows McQueen coming full circle. The first movie was the passing of the torch from Weathers and Hicks to McQueen, and this one is McQueen passing on to Cruz what he learned. It’s like the Star Wars original trilogy and sequels.

I agree with you here, I do believe that the actual ending is the better one, the Alternative one feels incredibly forced, and as a car Enthusiast, I dislike the idea of Lightning McQueen winning everything, it just doesn't make sense even fantastic cars like the Ford GT40 or Porsche 919 Hybrid only managed to win 4 and 3 times in a row respectively, and the GT40 got an update halfway through, so you could argue it was only twice in a row. Honestly I think the insurance on having McQueen win, and insult the F1 car was the main reason why I didn't like Cars2 (and believe me I don't like F1) However I have to admit that having a Street Legal Car compete in the Indi 500 and win seems quite strange, not impossible, but generally speaking street legal cars that could win actual races are the street legal variants of race cars (like the 2017 Ford GT)

Why does mcqueen with the doc Hudson livery go so hard

Somebody should make a custom diecast of Lightning from this scene.

why is bro whispering 😂

The best ending would have been to have lightning race with the 51. Cruz sees how terribly Sterling treated Lightning. Cruz wins the race with Lightning in second. Cruz quits the 95 team. Lightning then sees an opportunity retiring from racing, but passing the 51 and Dinoco to Cruz who gladly joins under the management of Tex and the strategy of Lightning. Leaving Sterling with no good driver to fill the spot of the 95