Who is the main villain and secret mastermind in Pixar’s Cars 2?

Miles Axlerod is the main villain and secret mastermind in Pixar’s Cars 2. He is introduced as a former oil baron who claims to have become an electric vehicle and organizes the World Grand Prix.

Axlerod secretly works with Professor Zündapp and other villains to sabotage the race and discredit Allinol, the alternative fuel used by the competitors. Their plan is designed to make the fuel appear dangerous when exposed to a hidden electromagnetic device. The conspiracy draws Lightning McQueen and Mater into an international spy adventure.

The film’s reveal identifies Axlerod as the mastermind behind the plot, despite his public role as the World Grand Prix’s organizer. Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell are spies investigating the conspiracy, not its leaders. Cars 2 was released in 2011 and was directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis.