Sterling is a character in Cars 3.
Official Bio[]
| “ | Sterling is a brilliant businesscar who runs Rust-eze Racing Center—one of the most successful elite training facilities in the country. Despite his dapper appearance and obvious wealth, Sterling comes across as unassuming and laid back. But business is business, and Sterling is driven to ensure all of his investments pay off.[3] | ” |
Cars 3[]
Sterling is a Lightning McQueen fan who buys Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment and the company gives him a racing center for next-gen racers and is prepared to bring Lightning back to the racing world. He introduces Lightning to the center's trainer, Cruz Ramirez, and assigns her to train Lightning, only for him to skip the exercise and fail the simulator. Sterling is forced to retire Lightning but offers him to be part of a brand, but he rather keeps arguing Sterling into allowing him to race in the Florida 500. He is convinced but does not like taking chances, so he sends in Cruz. When Lightning is absent at the race, Sterling explains Lightning is taking an "unconventional" approach. When Lightning arrives to race, Sterling notices Cruz and tells her she needs to train Ronald for the race next week and escorts her out. However, Cruz is called back by McQueen, having seen Cruz upset after leaving, and remembers how she wanted to be a racer so during the pit stop Cruz is outfitted with Lightning's racing equipment but Sterling argues against this, though Smokey explains only the number must be in the race, not who wears it, and so Cruz wins and beats Jackson Storm and after this she quits working for Sterling. He then tells Lightning they need to photo-shoot the next day, before Tex Dinoco gave Sterling a "Texas-sized offer" to sell Rust-Eze to him.
Disney Crossy Road[]
In Disney Crossy Road, Sterling appears as a unlockable and playable character in the Cars pack of the game.
Personality[]
According to Nathan Fillion, Sterling tries to be "interested", not "interesting", and says things that actually sound "charming".[4] Although Sterling presents himself as a friendly and considerate person, his main concern is that his business ventures are successful. He approaches problems in terms of financial gain and doesn't get involved at the personal level. His charm appears to be a façade to maintain a friendly relation with his clients. This is shown chiefly when Sterling introduces himself to Lightning McQueen as a fan but is more concerned about Lightning's brand than Lightning's desires. Sterling is shown to become very severe if his subordinates do not follow through with his planning, as shown by his anger when Cruz Ramirez steps out of line. Nevertheless, since he puts business before everything else, Sterling quickly changes his tone when Cruz goes from disobeying his orders to winning the Florida 500.
Creation and development[]
According to director Brian Fee, Sterling's design drew inspiration from European cars of the 1960s, which he described as "incredibly stylish, with almost a dainty quality. Small, kind of sporty, extremely confident". Further refining Sterling's appearance, Ford's former design chief, J Mays, contributed to his look. The design team aimed for a timeless aesthetic, incorporating elements reminiscent of classic 1970s BMWs and the tailored style of characters from shows like Mad Men.
Sterling embodies the intersection of tradition and innovation in the racing industry. While he doesn't undergo a dramatic transformation, his actions and decisions significantly impact the trajectories of other characters, emphasizing the importance of personal choice and the evolving nature of legacy. Some of Fillion's mannerisms were actually incorporated into the car. He tends to talk out of the right side of his mouth, and so does Sterling — something he didn't notice until he saw the movie. "I said, 'Hey, that's totally what I do!', so it's actually honest."
In one of his concept arts, he was supposed to be a mix of Mercedes-Benz AMG GT and a BMW, while his model is a bit similar to Pope Pinion IV's model, it should be said that his model is very similar to the 1971 BMW 2002 Turbo.
Sterling is originally going to be the overarching protagonist of Cars 3 as McQueen's mentor and trainer in the movie (with Jackson Storm as the main antagonist), according to the film's promos. When the film is released, Sterling is revealed to be the film's true main antagonist, making Storm the overarching antagonist instead.
Trivia[]
- According to director Brian Fee, Sterling's design was made to feel timeless, and takes inspiration from European cars of the '60s, which Fee describes as "incredibly stylish, with almost a dainty quality. Small, kind of sporty, extremely confident", qualities which he found reflected well Sterling's personality.[4]
- The design is very similar to the BMW CS Vintage Concept with the exception of the elimination of the kidney grille to disguise it.
- Nathan Fillion also voiced Johnny Worthington III in Monsters University and the season 2 of Monsters At Work.
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
