In Pixar’s Cars 2, Miles Axlerod is revealed as the mastermind behind the international sabotage plot.
Axlerod presents himself as a wealthy former oil baron and the organizer of the World Grand Prix. He promotes Allinol, a supposedly clean alternative fuel, while secretly arranging attacks that make the fuel appear dangerous when exposed to electromagnetic pulses.
The conspiracy is designed to discredit alternative fuels and preserve demand for petroleum. Axlerod’s own transformation is central to the twist: he is revealed to have converted himself from a conventional car into a powerful electric vehicle, allowing him to evade suspicion.
Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell investigate the plot, while Mater becomes involved despite not being a trained spy. Professor Zündapp acts as one of Axlerod’s principal agents, but he is not the final villain. The film’s spy-thriller structure makes Axlerod’s public role easy to overlook until the climax.