Professor Zündapp

Professor Z, short for Zündapp, is the secondary antagonist in Cars 2. He was promoted to be the main antagonist, but it turns out to be Miles Axlerod.

Cars 2
"Professor Z, aka “The Professor,” is an internationally-wanted weapons designer in a small, sophisticated German package. He is a brilliant but mad monocle-wearing scientist who is plotting to sabotage the World Grand Prix. Though his true motive is unclear, Professor Z is willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate all obstacles and keep the “project” on schedule."

During the film, it is learned that the Professor is not the main villain, nor is he the leader of the lemon cars. As it turns out, he is actually working for WGP creator Sir Miles Axlerod. Since Professor Z is a scientist, Miles Axlerod has him invent an electromagnetic pulse device, which is disguised as a World Grand Prix camera, to use on the racers that use the gas Allinol. This was all part of a plan to turn the world against alternative energy and have all cars rely on gasoline, bringing profits to the lemon cars and himself due to the fact that they own the largest untapped oil reserves in the world.

It turns out that Professor Zündapp and Axlerod engineered Allinol not as alternative energy, but actually made it from gasoline that would expand and eventually explode upon being in contact with the electromagnetic pulse.

In the end, Professor Z is missing his monocle, tied up by Finn McMissile, and tazed by Holley Shiftwell. He ultimately is arrested in London with Axlerod and the remaining lemons for their crimes.

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure
In Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure, Professor Z appears on pictures that the player has to hit to get extra points when a new goal is unlocked in the first Cars level.

In the second level, he is heard talking as he tries to stop the player and Holley Shiftwell from deactivating the bomb on Francesco Bernoulli. He makes a physical appearance in the third level. He is in the helicopter with a convoy of trucks full of bombs. Throughout the level, he tries to stop Finn McMissile and the player from finding out where the bombs are being taken. In the ending cutscene, he shoots a missile at the player while in midair, but the player dodges the missile and pushes Professor Z out of the helicopter before the missile hits the helicopter. Finn asks Professor Z if everyone is all right in there, only that he replies saying no thanks due to Finn, who then says, "No thanks required, mate. All in a day's work." When the level is completed with the player seeing their score and what they unlocked, Professor Z is seen with a parking boot, as to prevent him getting away.

Personality
Professor Z is an evil, greedy, ruthless, devious, intelligent and mad German scientist. Professor Z is a genius while his henchmen are dimwits.

==Specifications ==
 * Hometown: Baden-Baden, Germany
 * Top Speed: 50 mph (80 km/h), 55 mph (downhill, 88 km/h)
 * 0 - 50 mph: 12 seconds
 * Engine Type: 2-stroke single cylinder 250 cc
 * Horsepower: 14

Trivia

 * He is modeled as a 1957 Zündapp Janus (as his name suggests), a micro-car in which back passengers sit facing backwards.
 * His license plate is BAD GA 58, which appears to be a pun on "bad guy". The 58 is one of the years the Zündapp Janus was made (1957-1958).
 * In a deleted scene, Miles Axlerod gave him the C4 Bomb to put on Mater.
 * When he opened the door to the lemons' meeting, he said "Guten Tag." Guten Tag is German for "Good day."
 * Also, another German word he said is "Wunderbar" when he is informed by Grem that Finn McMissile is "dead". Wunderbar is a German word for "marvelous", "terrific" or "wonderful".
 * Professor Z appears to have a severely damaged roof rack, which gives him the appearance of a comb over.
 * Along with Grem, Acer, Miles Axlerod and Victor Hugo, Professor Z is playable in Cars 2: The Video Game, even though they are villains. However, it could be that, along with the tracks, they are part of the simulation.
 * Professor Z for some reason is always referred by his real name only by Finn McMissile. However, McMissile refers to him as "Professor Z" in the cutscene of the start of Cars 2: The Video Game. And although McMissile and his voice actor Michael Caine are British, McMissile pronounces the "Z" in Zündapp's name in the American way ("Z" in American is pronounced "zee" while in Britain is pronounced "zaid"). However, it could be that the "Z" in his name is always pronounced "zee" even in Britain (when referring to Professor Z) in that cutscene. However, it could be that all people pronounce the "Z" in his name the American way. Also, although Professor Z pronounces "missile" in the British way (miss-i-all), he pronounces "can't" in the American way.
 * Though Cars 3 has yet to have a plotline, Z might return as the main antagonist.
 * Z is the main antagonist early on, but when Miles Axlerod emerges, Z is reduced to the secondary main antagonist since Axlerod had bigger plans and acts more like Z's boss.