Throttle Weekly — Issue 32: Fiat Goes Tiny, Leclerc Wins Silverstone, and Gordon Murray Gets Moving

Fiat's smallest EV is coming to America with a price under $15,000, but it is not arriving as a normal city car. The Topolino is entering the U.S. as a low-speed neighborhood vehicle, which says as much about America's patchwork local-mobility market as it does about Fiat's appetite for risk. 1

The Topolino's numbers are modest by normal car standards: just over 1,000 pounds, an estimated 46-mile range, and a 25 mph speed limit. Fiat says a no-cost conversion kit planned for later this year will let the car meet U.S. low-speed vehicle requirements where state law allows it. 1

That last clause matters. A low-speed vehicle is not a substitute for a highway-capable hatchback. It is the legal category that lets small electric runabouts operate on certain roads, usually with low posted speed limits. In practice, that makes the Topolino more plausible in a gated community, seaside town, resort property, or campus than on a normal American commute.

Fiat is selling standard and open-air Dolcevita versions, and the pitch is closer to "better golf cart" than "cheaper 500e." The bet is that design can make a constrained-use vehicle feel desirable rather than compromised. 1

Cadillac's Vistiq recall is one of those safety items that sounds small until you read the failure mode. The 2026-2027 Vistiq's power-folding third row may keep folding after meeting resistance, creating a risk that an occupant could be trapped. Car and Driver reported that GM paused 2027 model-year shipments on June 8 and ordered a stop delivery while dealers disable the third-row folding function until a permanent remedy is available. 2

Ford had two different recall stories this week. The first covers 66,000-plus hybrid SUVs: 2025-2027 Ford Explorer Hybrids and 2024-2027 Lincoln Nautilus Hybrids with a pedestrian-alert sound issue. The affected vehicles may fail to emit warning sounds below 30 kph, or about 18 to 19 mph, when driven in electric mode. 7

The second covers Mustangs. Autoblog reported that 2024-2026 Mustangs and 2025-2026 Mustang GTDs are affected by a wiper-motor problem in freezing temperatures, with 67,553 regular Mustangs and 289 Mustang GTDs listed in the recall population. The remedy may not be ready until around late March 2027. 8

The pattern is not that every recall is catastrophic. It is that modern vehicle risk often sits in parts owners rarely think about: a seat module, an audio-processing path, a wiper motor's communication with a steering-column control module. Software and electronics now show up in the mundane jobs that used to be judged mainly by mechanical reliability.

Leclerc's British Grand Prix win ended a 36-race drought for the Ferrari driver and gave Ferrari its 250th grand prix victory. Kimi Antonelli had looked positioned to build his title lead before a front-left wheel-shield failure and track-limits penalty dropped him out of the points. 3

At Mid-Ohio, O'Ward passed teammate Christian Lundgaard on Lap 42 and won the 90-lap Honda Indy 200 by leading Arrow McLaren's first 1-2 finish in IndyCar. The win was O'Ward's first of the season and the 10th of his IndyCar career. 4

NASCAR's return to Chicagoland gave Toyota a headline weekend. Briscoe took his first Cup win of 2026, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin completing the podium. Road & Track reported that Toyota put seven cars in the top 10, its best finish in NASCAR. 5

Gordon Murray Automotive used Le Mans Classic for the Le Mans GTR's public dynamic debut. The car ran at the Circuit de la Sarthe in a Gordon Murray parade with Dario Franchitti behind the wheel, and Hagerty reported that production will be limited to 24 examples as a nod to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 6

The spec sheet is deliberately unfashionable in the best way: a naturally aspirated Cosworth 4.0-liter V-12, about 650 horsepower, a 12,100-rpm redline, a six-speed manual transmission, no electrification, and a dry weight around 2,200 pounds. 6

That makes the Le Mans GTR less a response to the current supercar arms race than a curated memory of the McLaren F1 era. It has the center-seat layout, the endurance-racing reference points, and the analog mechanical theater that high-end collectors keep rewarding.

Hagerty's Charlotte Vowden used a 1960 MGA road trip through extreme heat to make a practical point for classic-car owners: the car and the people inside it need preparation. Her advice starts with the obvious, such as water, shade, and avoiding the hottest part of the day, then moves into the car-specific checks that matter when traffic stops moving. 9

For older cars, heat management is not just air conditioning. It is coolant condition, hose and belt health, radiator cleanliness, fan function, engine oil, tire condition, and cabin insulation around hot areas like the transmission tunnel. 9

The useful takeaway: plan the trip like the vehicle has limits, because it does. Modern traffic can trap a classic in conditions it was never designed to tolerate for long. Early starts, detours that keep air moving through the radiator, and regular stops can be the difference between a good summer drive and a steaming roadside wait.