In Pixar's Cars 2, who is the villainous weapons designer known as Professor Z?

Professor Zundapp is the villainous weapons designer known as Professor Z in Pixar's Cars 2.

Professor Zundapp works with the conspiracy surrounding the World Grand Prix and Allinol. He is a small German vehicle who helps develop the electromagnetic pulse weapon used to sabotage racers. The weapon is presented as part of a larger plan intended to discredit alternative fuel and benefit the interests behind the plot.

The character's title is a pun on the German motorcycle manufacturer Zündapp. In the film, he is an antagonist in the spy-thriller storyline involving Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell. Mater becomes an accidental participant after being mistaken for an American spy.

Professor Zundapp is often confused with Miles Axlerod because both are connected to the conspiracy. Axlerod publicly presents himself as the organizer of the World Grand Prix, while Zundapp is the technical specialist known as Professor Z. Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell are spies opposing the villains.