Professor Zündapp

“*Allinol must be finished for good, McQueen can't win the last race, Lightning McQueen must be killed.*”
―Zundapp's last words and ordering the death of Lightning McQueen

## General Information

### Occupation

Scientist
Weapon Designer
Terrorist
Commander of The Lemons

### Dislikes

Evil plans ruined, failure, his death ray not killing cars, being tied up

### Friends

The Lemons
 Grem
 Acer

### Enemies

Mater
 Lightning McQueen
 Finn McMissile
 Holley Shiftwell
 Rod "Torque" Redline

## Series Information

### Performer

Thomas Kretschmann

**Professor Otto Wolfgang Zundapp**, sometimes known as **Professor Zündapp**, is the secondary antagonist of *Cars 2.* He is a German scientist who serves as the right-hand man of Sir Miles Axlerod as well as the second-in-command of the Lemons.

He was voiced by the German actor Thomas Kretschmann.

## Biography

### *Cars 2*

In *Cars 2*, when C.H.R.O.M.E. agent Finn McMissile makes his way onto one of the Lemons' oil rigs in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he attempts to secretly gather information on a suspicious weapon supposedly in Zündapp's possession. McMissile is surprised to discover it has the appearance of the camera. However, after McMissile catches a glimpse fellow agent Leland Turbo's corpse, he is discovered, and chased off the platform. McMissile manages to fake his death while successfully escaping, and the Lemons are relieved to supposedly have a dangerous enemy out of the way.

After American C.H.R.O.M.E. agent Rod Redline is captured by Grem and Acer, he is brought to the Lemons' hideout, where Zündapp explains the purpose of the weapon, using Redline as a test subject. Zündapp introduces it as an electromagnetic pulse device, which, when reacting with Miles Axlerod's alternative fuel Allinol, will cause an explosive reaction. After the Lemons figure out who Redline gave his collection of information to, the Lemons fire the camera at full power, killing the agent.

With Mater in possession of vital information, Zündapp orders his henchman to find the tow truck and kill him. During the first World Grand Prix race in Tokyo, the Lemons use the camera to damage the engines of the contestants, creating bad publicity for Allinol. The Lemons continue this practice through the second race in Porto Corsa. While Grem and Acer are doing so, a meeting takes place between several major Lemon crime bosses in the Porto Corsa Casino. Professor Z attends the meeting, where he further explains his plans to his allies. Deciding more work needs to be done to truly shut down Allinol, the Lemons decide to kill at least one of the remaining contestants before it's too late, and they choose Lightning McQueen because he decided to stick with Allinol despite its bad image.

Unbeknownst to the Lemons, Mater had been attending the meeting as well, while disguised as Ivan, one of the Lemons' tow trucks. As McQueen is his best friend, Mater objects to his murder, accidentally revealing his identity. The Lemons attack Mater, but he manages to escape the casino by use of his computer. However, as Mater is making his way to McQueen to warn him, he is captured and sprayed with gas, which causes him to pass out. When Mater awakens, he finds himself tied up in Big Bentley, alongside McMissile and Holley Shiftwell. Grem and Acer explain that they have placed a bomb in McQueen's pit, and after they leave, Mater manages to free himself, and he begins making his way to Lightning's pit.

Meanwhile, Professor Z's henchmen are preparing to use the camera to take out McQueen. When Grem lines up the shot and attempts to fire, nothing happens, much to everyone's surprise.

When Mater arrives, his friends are rejoiced to be reunited with him, as his whereabouts have been unknown for days. As Mater explains the bomb, he discovers that the bomb is actually strapped to him, in place of his air filter. When McQueen drives up, Mater attempts to explain the situation to him, but he is not very clear, and McQueen misunderstands his statements of "I'm the bomb!" as being self-compliments. Mater attempts to drive away from McQueen, but Lightning follows him, and the two drive together until they find themselves alongside McMissile and Shiftwell, cornered by the Lemons.

At the same time McQueen chases Mater, Professor Z prepares to detonate the bomb with a remote device. When McQueen hooks onto Mater, the Professor hits the detonator. However, due to Mater's rockets, the two travel out of range, leaving the switch unable to detonate, enraging and frustrating the Professor. While he is angrily pressing the switch, Shiftwell comes up to him with her tasor, angry at him for tying her up and locking her in the clock tower. Frightened, he quickly starts speeding away towards his combat ship, Tony Trihull. McMissile takes pursuit from there, and as Trihull attempts to pull him in with his magnet, Finn releases magnetic detonators, blowing up the ship. McMissile captures Professor Z, and ties him up with wires.

Before a street brawl between the C.H.R.O.M.E. agents, the Radiator Springs residents, and the Lemons, Zündapp tries to ask McQueen why the camera didn't work on him but McMissile and Shiftwell attempt to force him to deactivate the voice-activated bomb. However, they are surprised to find the professor was not the one who activated it. Mater, realizing who actually activated the bomb, starts speeding toward where the Queen and Miles Axlerod are watching the race. Mater exposes Axlerod as the mastermind behind the Lemons' plan, and he is forced to deactivate the bomb one second before it detonates. Professor Z, Axlerod, and the rest of the Lemons are arrested, and peace is restored to London.

### *Cars 2: The Video Game*

In *Cars 2: The Video Game*, Professor Z is the primary antagonist of the Hunter missions. While waves of henchman are sent to attack the player, Zündapp watches from his helicopter. On rare occasions, Professor Z's helicopter will swoop down while the Professor attempts to attack the player. A large bonus is awarded if the player manages to hit him.

Additionally, Professor Z is an unlockable playable character, available once the "Capitol View" crest is obtained. He is a light character, and focuses on speed rather than power. An alternate version of Zündapp called "Young Professor Z" can be also be unlocked by earning the "Master Agent" crest. Both versions of Professor Z have identical stats.

### *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.

## Trivia

* When he opened the door to the lemons' meeting, he says, "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".
		- His voice actor Thomas Kretschmann is German himself like his character.
* 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, as well as all five should be residing in the London Prison, as the game takes place shortly after the second film. However, it could be that, along with the tracks, they are part of the simulation.
* Professor Z is always referred to by his real name by Finn McMissile. However, McMissile refers to him as his nickname, "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 America and Canada is pronounced "zee", while in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, it is pronounced "zed"). 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.
* Although Miles Axlerod is the main antagonist and Professor Z's boss, Professor Z is a better weapon designer and more dangerous and drove most of the film’s plot more than Axlerod.
* Pixar didn't create Zundapp's traits. His traits were given from Zil, a Russian car who was originally intended to be the main antagonist of Cars 2 before being replaced by Miles Axlerod.
* For some reason Professor Z's die-cast model in the 1:55 scale line hasn't been released since 2012. It's unknown why he hasn't been released since.