Miles Axlerod is the secondary antagonist of Cars 2. He was a rich oil baron, before his arrest in London for destroying the climax of the World Grand Prix, his own scam of an event.
Axlerod is a former oil baron who has sold off his fortune, converted himself into an electric vehicle and has devoted his life to finding the renewable, clean-burning energy source of the future — ultimately discovering what he believes is the fuel everyone should be using. Axlerod is also the host of the World Grand Prix, a three-country race he created that attracts the world’s top athletes to promote his new clean burning fuel, Allinol.
Though at first Professor Z appears to be the main antagonist, it is revealed near the end of the film by Mater that Axlerod is actually the antagonist. His supposed "alternative fuel" was actually gasoline engineered to expand if hit with an electro-magnetic pulse, and was Professor Z's part of a plot to turn the world against alternative energy and have them rely on gasoline, bringing profits to the lemons and himself due to the fact they owned the largest untapped oil reserves in the world. It is unknown what happened to Axlerod after he was revealed to be the main antagonist, but it is assumed that he was arrested and sent to prison.
Personality
Charming as he seems, Miles is a villain. He is evil and rude. Miles is also clearly a smart thinker, as he had thought the entire plan to get rid of Allinol through, as he set everything up to make him look like an innocent car. At the end, he was proven to be the villain.
Livery
Miles is painted dark green, with chrome rims and a black roof. He has blue eyes, and his paint scheme matchs that color.
Model
Miles is modeled on a modified Range Rover L322.
His license plate reads ALT NRG, an abbreviation of "alternative energy". However, before his "electric conversion" (ultimately a lie), he does not appear to have a license plate at all.
Miles' design resembles an extremely modified version of a Range Rover L322.
His license plate is ALT NRG, an abbreviation of "alternative energy".
Miles' tires' texture repeats a leaf-shaped motif.
If you look closely at his front wheels you can see the words 'REGEN R8' meaning 'Regenerate'.
Miles uses a lot of parts made by "British Wheeland" to keep himself going. "British Wheeland" is a parody of British Leyland, which produced both the Range Rover and the notoriously unstable V-8 engine that powered them. Even the logo was a parody of British Leyland's, using a big bold printed W instead of the big bold
Miles emerging from the jungle from Up
printed L. Mater states truthfully that B.L. made parts won't fit on other cars because of them not using standardized bolts.
The jungle Miles gets lost in before he converts to an electric vehicle is the jungle from Up.
The DVD commentary for Cars 2 states that the climax where Mater confronts Axlerod at Buckingham Palace over the plot to sabotage the World Grand Prix came rather early in production, so the Pixar team went backwards from there to make Axlerod the ultimate good guy and someone else the bad guy, so that when it got up to the climax, everyone could see how brilliant Mater was in figuring out the whole thing.
Before coming up with Axlerod, Pixar had considered a Russian super car as the main villain.
Axlerod's name apparently originated from an old joke his voice actor Eddie Izzard actually once told concerning the invention of the wheel and axle.[citation needed]
Along with Grem, Acer, Professor Z and Victor Hugo, Axlerod is playable in Cars 2: The Video Game, even though they are villains. However, it could be that the tracks are actually part of the simulation, so it's possible that they are part of it as well.
Axlerod's personality is very similar to that of Waternoose (the antagonist from Monsters, Inc.): both are portrayed as evil businessmen who are originally introduced as being friendly, both rely on deception as part of their motivations, and both are ultimately defeated by being exposed by the heroes as villains and being subsequently arrested.
Quotes
"Miles Axlerod: "Ah! He's a little excited, isn't he?" Lightning McQueen: "Mater!" Mater: "But wait, I... Oh, shoot!" Lightning McQueen: "Mater!" Miles Axlerod: "Have anyone got a towel?" Lightning McQueen: "Mater! You have to get ahold of yourself! You're making a scene!" Mater: "But I never leak oil. Never." Lightning McQueen: "Go take care of yourself right now!!!"
"
—When he was leaking oil and blamed Mater for it., [[{{{3}}}]]
"Lightning McQueen: "Sir Axlerod." Miles Axlerod: "I'm sorry to interrupt." Lightning McQueen: "No, no, it - it's alright." Miles Axlerod: "I just wanted to come down here, and to personally thank you. Because after Italy, I was finished, and then you gave me one last shot." Lightning McQueen: "Listen, I. . ." Miles Axlerod: "I probably shouldn't be saying this at all, but I hope you win today. You show the world that they've been wrong about Allinol." Sally Carrera: "Mater would want you to race." Lightning McQueen: "All right. For Mater.""
—Miles "thanks" Lightning for deciding to use Allinol for the race in London., [[{{{3}}}]]
"Deactivate!"
How did the tow truck figure it out?! (Axlerod's last words before getting sent prison)
Unwelcome Aboard • In Plane Sight • Fast Friends • Airport Invasion • There's No Place Like Chrome • Oil Rig Showdown • Hit the Road • World Grand Prix • Runway Invasion • Porto Corsa Invasion • Objects in Mirror • Airport Showdown • Burning the Midnight Oil • Coastal Invasion • Runway Runaway • Harbor Hassle • Power Surge • London Showdown • Foe Interior • Hit or McMissile • Unfriendly Competition • Air Power • Rush Delivery • Italy Showdown • Tokyo Invasion • Save the Queen • Sour Lemons • Lightning the Mood • Home Security • Tokyo Showdown
