In Pixar’s Cars 2, the criminal group led by Professor Zündapp’s allies is known as the Lemons. The group consists of cars from historically unreliable or obscure automobile manufacturers, including characters associated with the AMC Gremlin, Pacer, and related models.
The Lemons use electromagnetic weapons to make Allinol-powered cars malfunction during the World Grand Prix. Their plan is designed to make the alternative fuel appear dangerous, allowing them to profit from the resulting fear and confusion. Professor Zündapp serves as one of the plot’s principal villains and works with the broader criminal operation.
The name is a pun on the expression “lemon,” which describes a defective vehicle. The group’s members are not merely generic villains: their identities connect the spy plot to real automotive history and to the long-running cultural idea of unreliable cars.