In Pixar's Cars 2, who is secretly revealed as the mastermind behind the spy plot?

Miles Axlerod is secretly revealed as the mastermind behind the spy plot in Pixar's Cars 2.

Axlerod presents himself as a former oil baron who has become an environmental advocate and the organizer of the World Grand Prix. His plan uses a new alternative fuel, Allinol, and electromagnetic devices to cause destructive engine reactions during the races. The apparent goal is to discredit alternative fuel and make oil seem indispensable again.

The British agents Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell investigate the conspiracy, while Mater becomes involved after being mistaken for an American spy. The film's final act reveals that Axlerod has been controlling the operation and has been using a disguised form to conceal his identity.

Miles Axlerod is not the same character as Professor Zündapp, the scientist who develops the weaponized camera technology, or Finn McMissile, the British spy investigating it. The character's title and public environmental image are deliberately designed to hide his real objective.