The official teaser trailer for Cars 3 takes on a dark tone dissimilar from that of the first two films in the franchise. It takes place during a high-speed race that Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is competing in. As the crowd of onlookers cheers, engines roar. McQueen squeezes through a narrow gap to take the lead, but then the announcer proclaims that McQueen is "fading fast." Suddenly, a tire bursts, McQueen spins out of control and blackness consumes the screen.
When the image comes back into focus, we can hear heavy breathing while shards of metal fly through the air and McQueen rolls along with them. The words, "From this moment, everything will change" close the clip.