Kingdom Hearts IV predictions: Radiator Springs/Dinoco Rust-eze Racing Center/Fireball Beach/Thunder Hollow/Thomasville/Florida International Speedway (Cars)
Takes place after Cars 3.
Is visited by Sora, who enters the world as a 2017 Nissan 370Z before visits to Luigi’s Casa Della Tires and Ramone’s House of Body Art end with him modified into a next-gen race car sponsored by Dinoco (with Tex’s blessing) and with Cruz’s number.
It isn’t combat based. Missions include keeping up with McQueen’s top speed by racing down Radiator Springs’ main street, learning how to turn right to go left at Willy’s Butte, driving backwards with Mater, keeping up with Cruz’s top speed on Fireball Beach, avoiding pushy competitors with the Thunder Hollow challengers, and practicing with Cruz at Thomasville, culminating in the Piston Cup race at Florida International Speedway, where the objective is to win against Jackson Storm.
It’s set during Cruz’s first Piston Cup racing season, so McQueen still has Doc’s colors and spends the Florida race as Sora’s crew chief. Also, Ramone wears his “Saludos Amigos” body paint from the epilogue of Cars 3.
As Sora finishes his story, Mater is certainly unhappy with Xehanort’s actions forcing Sora’s hand. “That dad-gum Xehanort,” he says angrily. Extra points if Sora doesn’t get to the part where Xehanort is dead, then Sarge gets in his face and demands him to teach Xehanort a lesson when he gets back in a militaristic manner. “Is that understood,” Sarge yells. Then Sora tries to correct him, but gets cut off and asked again, “Is that understood,” and has to respond, “Sir, yes, sir!”
Of course, during the top speed races, Luigi is the one to signal the race to begin. In the Radiator Springs race, Sora’s top speed is tracked by Sheriff’s speed radar, and on Fireball Beach, it’s via Cruz’s personal assistant, Hamilton.
If you fail the “Turn Right to go Left” mission, Sora goes flying into the bed of cacti, and Mater fishes him out.
“I don’t like to toot my own horn, but…” (HONKS TWICE) “Toot my own horn. That’s funny right there.” - Sir Tow Mater, beginning his backwards driving lesson, 2017
Finn McMissile, Holley Shiftwell, and the World Grand Prix racers are seen tuning in to the Florida race.
I wanted the player character in this world to be Kairi just so Storm can feel the embarrassment of losing to not one, but two “costume girls”.
The Piston Cup race is announced as a 500-lap race, but no game developer is that malicious to force the player to race 500 laps around an oval, so they’d take after the first Cars game and make it twelve laps with the sun slowly lowering throughout the race.
