Plot

Maggie Peyton, the new owner of Herbie, Number 53, the free-wheelin' Volkswagen bug with a mind of its own, puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor.

Maggie Peyton is the new owner of Number 53--the free wheelin' Volkswagen bug with a mind of its own; she puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor. As a third-generation member of a NASCAR family, racing is in Maggie Peyton's blood, but her overprotective father Ray Peyton Sr. forbids her to pursue her dream. When Ray Sr. offers Maggie a car as a college-graduation present, he takes her to a junkyard to choose one from an assortment of very used cars. Maggie has her eye on an old Nissan, but a certain rusty, banged-up '63 VW Bug seems to be clamoring for her attention. To her surprise, Maggie leaves the lot with Herbie. As she prepares to leave town for a position with ESPN News, Maggie discovers that Herbie has a mind of his own--and an alternate route for her future.—gavin (gunmasterM@hotmail.com)

Southern Californian Maggie Peyton has car-racing in her blood: her late grandfather was a famous, successful driver, and her father Ray leads his own NASCAR team. Maggie took to street-racing when Ray wouldn't let her drive in legitimate races. A potentially life-threatening car accident during a race made Maggie trade in her four large wheels for four smaller ones in the form of a skateboard as Ray sent her off to college (from which she's just graduated) to get her out of the racing life, and she is preparing to take a corporate job in New York City. To carry on the Peyton racing legacy, Ray has entrusted the driving for the team to his son Ray Peyton Jr., whose less-than-stellar results threaten corporate funding for the team. As a graduation present, Ray Sr. gives Maggie any vehicle she wants at a scrapyard. Despite having her eyes on another vehicle, she is compelled instead to choose a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle. That VW Bug is Herbie, who has a mind of his own, but his own recent sad life has made a has-been--he only barely escaped being crushed for scrap metal. Herbie was the one who made Maggie choose him; he hoped to reclaim his past racing glory with Maggie behind the wheel, which she doesn't fully comprehend the first time he takes full control. With her childhood friend Kevin, now a mechanic, by her side, Maggie, hiding under a racing suit and helmet as "Max", must get by egotistical NASCAR champion Trip Murphy, who is not averse to sabotage to achieve his goal of winning. Besides Trip, Maggie and Herbie have a few obstacles to overcome: Ray finding out that Max is indeed his daughter; Herbie getting sidetracked by his interest in a newer model VW Beetle; and Maggie being lured to the dark side in the form of a traditional high-powered race-car instead of Herbie.—Huggo

Maggie Peyton, the first Peyton to graduate from college, receives a graduation present from her dad and as she's about to get a 250Z, she instead receives a Volkswagen Bug (Herbie) and Herbie takes her for a ride. Herbie takes her to "Kevin's Custom Car Shop" run by her best friend Kevin where they take Herbie for a test drive and end up at a car show where Herbie beats all-time racer Trip Murphy in an impromptu street race. Trip demands a rematch and attempts to discover the secret behind Herbie. But Magwheels's biggest challenge isn't the up-and-coming Daytona 500; it's proving to her dad that she's good enough to be the next great Peyton.—Joseph <webwriter3000@yahoo.com>

When Maggie Peyton graduates from college, her father Ray Peyton Sr. gives her used car from a scrap-metal yard as a gift, and she takes a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle with the number 53. Maggie finds a letter in the glove compartment telling that the bug's name is Herbie and she visits her mechanic friend Kevin to check Herbie. They go to a car show where they are challenged by arrogant champion racer Trip Murphy for a race. Maggie and Herbie win Trip, and the revengeful pilot plots a scheme to take Herbie from Maggie.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The story focuses on Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, and Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan), the youngest member of the Peyton racing clan. Herbie is towed to a junkyard after losing several races, and Maggie's father, Ray Peyton Sr. (Michael Keaton), takes Maggie to the junkyard to buy her a car as a college graduation present. After Maggie selects Herbie (Herbie is about to be crushed, so does everything in his power to make Maggie notice him & then buy him), he takes her against her will to the garage where her boyfriend Kevin (Justin Long) works as a mechanic. Maggie quickly finds that Herbie has a mind of his own. Kevin persuades Maggie to take Herbie to a car show to buy parts for Herbie, but when they arrive, Herbie tricks Maggie into disguising herself in a racing suit and helmet and challenging NASCAR champion Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon) to an impromptu race, which Herbie wins by a second.

Meanwhile Ray is running a NASCAR team, which his ex-wife is helping him sponsor through her company. But Ray's son is not cut out for driving & keeps losing races. Maggie is a natural at driving, but Ray has forbidden her from racing as she crashed a car as a youngster and nearly lost her life. Ray's ex-wife informs him that her company will drop the team if the team does not qualify for the next race.

This delights Kevin, who tries to talk Maggie into racing again, but worries Ray Sr., who has forbidden her from racing since she was hospitalized after a street racing accident years ago. It also infuriates Murphy, who becomes obsessed with Herbie. Murphy organizes a local street-racing competition to lure Herbie back for a rematch, which Maggie and Kevin enter.

Herbie easily defeats the other cars and qualifies for the final match with Murphy, but when Murphy talks Maggie into racing for pink slips (where the winner takes possession of the opponent's car), Herbie becomes alarmed over Maggie's desire to win Murphy's stock car --- incorrectly assuming that Maggie will have him scrapped if she wins the other car, and also unaware that the vindictive Murphy only agreed to the match so that he could have Herbie scrapped if he got possession of him --- and intentionally loses the race against Murphy's Corvette C6 Z06. Maggie is publicly embarrassed, Herbie is towed away, and Ray Sr. scolds Maggie for racing without his permission.

However, encouraged by her friend Charisma, Maggie decides to race professionally. She tries to buy Herbie back from Murphy, but Murphy has entered Herbie in a demolition derby. Desperate to save Herbie from destruction, Maggie goes to the derby, runs onto the field while the derby is in progress, pleads with Herbie to help her, and wins the derby.

Meanwhile, the Peyton racing team may have to forfeit an upcoming stock-car race due to financial troubles and two crashes by the team's driver, Ray Peyton Jr. (Meyer). Ray Sr. declines Maggie's offer to drive for the team, but Ray Jr. decides on his own that she will take his place and sends the Team Peyton crew to help her, and Kevin prepare Herbie for the race. At the racetrack, Maggie and Herbie have a heart-to-heart conversation, and Murphy ominously warns Maggie that the race will be dangerous.

Herbie starts the race slowly, but he eventually catches up and begins passing the other cars before Maggie makes her first pit stop. Meanwhile, Ray Sr., who has been watching the race at home, decides to join the crowd in person. On the track again, Herbie is soon boxed in by some other cars, but Ray Sr. arrives at the track and encourages Maggie over the team radio, and Maggie escapes the trap by driving directly over Tony Stewart who was in front of her. This damages Herbie's oil system, so Maggie makes another pit stop and Kevin hurriedly extracts a replacement part from the yellow New Beetle, which Herbie has been eyeing amorously throughout the film, owned by Sally, one of Team Peyton's few remaining sponsors. The rigged oil system is fragile, and Murphy is intent on preventing Herbie from winning.

With Maggie, Herbie, and Ray Sr. now working together, Maggie and Herbie catch up to Murphy. Murphy tries to damage Herbie by pushing him into the track wall when Maggie tries to pass him, but he is caught off guard and crashes into the wall when she slams on the brakes during his next attempt. Herbie passes Murphy's car, now upside down on the track, by climbing onto the fence above the wall. After landing back on the track, Maggie and Herbie win the race. Maggie is congratulated by her father and brother, and Murphy is driven away in an ambulance, raging furiously about Herbie, as Maggie and Kevin kiss. The film ends with a photograph of Herbie's victory and a scene in which Ray Sr. warns Herbie and Sally's New Beetle not to stay out too long on their date. In the end, Maggie continues to race with Herbie in NASCAR.