In Pixar’s Cars 2, the former oil baron behind the espionage plot is Miles Axlerod.
Axlerod is introduced as the organizer of the World Grand Prix and the public face of Allinol, a new alternative fuel. His apparent support for clean energy helps him gain international attention while the film’s villains secretly use Allinol to make racers’ engines explode when exposed to electromagnetic pulses.
The story eventually reveals that Axlerod is manipulating the competition and is responsible for the conspiracy. His plan is designed to discredit alternative fuel and restore demand for petroleum. This makes him different from Professor Zündapp, who is the scientist assisting the operation rather than its ultimate mastermind.
Cars 2 presents Axlerod as a major twist villain, so early scenes deliberately make him appear to be a wealthy environmental promoter. The character’s name also echoes the film’s broader parody of international espionage, oil politics, and celebrity sporting events.