Miles Axlerod is revealed as the secret mastermind behind the attacks in Pixar’s Cars 2.
Axlerod is an oil tycoon and former British racing car who presents the World Grand Prix as an international sporting event. He claims to have completed a round-the-world journey using alternative fuel and promotes Allinol, the event’s supposedly clean fuel. The film later reveals that his public image conceals a larger plot.
The attacks are designed to discredit Allinol and make alternative fuel look dangerous. Axlerod and his allies use a device that causes selected cars to malfunction, turning the races into the center of an espionage operation. Mater becomes involved after being mistaken for an American agent.
Cars 2 was released in 2011 and shifts the series toward spy-film conventions. Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell are genuine agents, while Professor Zündapp serves as one of Axlerod’s collaborators.