Cars 2 introduced the villain Sir Miles Axlerod.
Axlerod is presented as a former oil baron who becomes the creator and organizer of the World Grand Prix. His public campaign promotes Allinol, a supposedly clean alternative fuel, while a secret plot uses the fuel to make participating cars explode when hit by an electromagnetic weapon.
The character’s apparent identity as an electric vehicle is part of the deception. Mater becomes suspicious after noticing inconsistencies, and the international spy plot eventually reveals Axlerod as the mastermind.
Cars 2 shifted the series toward espionage and global adventure. Lightning McQueen remains central, but Mater’s mistaken involvement with spies drives much of the story.