Herbie: Fully Loaded

Plots: 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. 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.