What is the name of the spy-film villain in Pixar's Cars 2 who is known as Professor Z?

Professor Zündapp, commonly called Professor Z, is the spy-film villain in Pixar's Cars 2.

Professor Zündapp is a small gray German scientist and henchman involved in the plot against the World Grand Prix. He works with the conspirators who use a camera-based weapon to make Allinol-powered racers malfunction, hoping to create fear about alternative fuel.

The character's full name refers to Zündapp, a German motorcycle manufacturer founded in Nuremberg in 1917. His design resembles a compact German car, reinforcing the film's international espionage style and its many automotive references.

Professor Zündapp is not the mastermind of the conspiracy. Miles Axlerod, the former oil magnate who presents himself as an advocate of alternative fuel, is revealed as the principal villain. Finn McMissile and Rod Redline are intelligence agents on the opposing side.