In Pixar’s Cars 2, who is the elderly German scientist known as Professor Z?

In Pixar’s Cars 2, Professor Z is Otto Zündapp.

Otto Zündapp is one of the film’s principal villains and works with Sir Miles Axlerod’s plan to manipulate the World Grand Prix. He is a small German microcar and is depicted as a scientist involved in the development and use of the explosive weapon central to the espionage plot.

The character’s name references Zündapp, a real German manufacturer known for motorcycles and small vehicles. His design and name help distinguish him from the larger racing cars competing in the film’s public events.

Cars 2 follows Lightning McQueen as he enters the World Grand Prix, while Mater is drawn into an international spy mission. Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell initially suspect that Mater may be a secret agent. The film combines racing with spy-film conventions, making Zündapp’s scientific role part of a plot very different from the small-town story of the original Cars.