From punch-buggy games and Saturday morning cartoons to Transformers nostalgia and the legendary Herbie the Love Bug, the Beetle has left tire tracks across pop culture history. We explore its quirky engineering, the surprising origins of the Herbie films (and why Volkswagen didn’t want their name on it at first), the stunt cars that made movie magic, and how some rare Herbies now fetch six-figure prices at auction.

Of course, we also get into the specs—40 horsepower, 0–60 in 27 seconds, and a heating system that could poison you—and the wild world of Beetle swaps, from Porsche engines to rotaries. Plus, we discuss how the Beetle evolved into everything from dune buggies to the ultra-rare Beetle RSI that rivaled a Porsche 911.

Whether you’re a lifelong VW fan or just curious how a “people’s car” became a Hollywood star, this episode has a little nostalgia, a little trivia, and a lot of Beetle love.