autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,337  ARTICLES

Staff Writer
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Once upon a time there was a little boy that didn't know his age but dreamed of reaching high in the sky alongside the absolute best aviators. He was passionate about reading books (action and Sci-Fi), grew up with many great authors and soon discovered the mirage of cinema.

There he understood anything is possible if you work hard and passionately strive to follow your imagination. This is how at the age of 16 he managed to fulfill the first dream – flying alone in a glider plane. He was no Tom Cruise, of course, so young adulthood brought him back to reality.

With every kick in the familiar *utt comes a chance to step forward, so a seemingly unimportant ad in one of his favorite automotive magazines brought a dilemma - follow through with the current job or dare to achieve greatness by deploying (previously) unknown literary skills.

Since 2006, he’s been perfecting them at Automondial, Supercar, Cox, Autoshow, Autopro, Auto Motor & Sport, and more magazines plus their online versions. After driving some of the best and worst cars in Europe and around the world, he’s part of the autoevolution team, where he aims to develop his best-ever form.
Jeep Grand Cherokee L Packs CGI “Shadow Line” Goodies, Lays Down on Huge Wheels
Jeep Grand Cherokee L Packs CGI “Shadow Line” Goodies, Lays Down on Huge Wheels

19 May 2022, 13:12 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Five generations after its introduction some three decades ago, and it turns out the Jeep Grand Cherokee still lifts the heart and soul, instilling feisty mid-size luxury SUV passions. Even among folks who do not necessarily want it for the off-roa...

 
Dodge Nero SRT Sits a Few CGI Steps Away From Rebadged Alfa Stelvio QV Reality
Dodge Nero SRT Sits a Few CGI Steps Away From Rebadged Alfa Stelvio QV Reality

19 May 2022, 11:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Today, there are many similarities between the newly minted sibling brands Alfa Romeo and Dodge. Both in the real world, courtesy of Stellantis, as well as across the virtual realm, through pixel master accomplishments. For example, the prem...

 
Affordable Chevrolet Trax/Tracker Crossover SUV Coupe Virtually Drops All Camouflage
Affordable Chevrolet Trax/Tracker Crossover SUV Coupe Virtually Drops All Camouflage

19 May 2022, 10:05 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / First introduced for the 1989 model year across the Americas, as a rebadged version of the little Suzuki Escudo/Vitara crossover SUV, the Chevrolet/Geo Tracker has had a rather convoluted history. And there is no reason to believe the records will ...

 
Renault Swiftly Resurrects Scenic, Vision Concept Has Suicide Doors, H2-EV Power
Renault Swiftly Resurrects Scenic, Vision Concept Has Suicide Doors, H2-EV Power

19 May 2022, 09:24 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Earlier this month we found out that Renault’s long-standing compact MPV ended its career as we traditionally know it, with only the Grand Scenic left on sale for a few more months. But, as it turns out, a revival was just around the corner. ...

 
Lowered BRZ and GR86 With Custom CGI Widebody Kits Pose as Polished Siblings
Lowered BRZ and GR86 With Custom CGI Widebody Kits Pose as Polished Siblings

19 May 2022, 08:45 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Toyota and Subaru have nailed it with the GR86 and BRZ siblings that form part of a dying, traditional breed. They are affordable, sold out in some markets (like the UK), and even have IHS Top Safety Pick+ award recognition in America. What else co...

 
Stanced BMW 330e Touring LCI Looks Widebody-Ready for Electro-CGI Road Trips
Stanced BMW 330e Touring LCI Looks Widebody-Ready for Electro-CGI Road Trips

19 May 2022, 07:54 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / After previously taking care of the massive profit-generator flagships (X7 LCI, Alpina XB7, new i7, and 7 Series) and igniting a whole new controversy chapter, BMW is now having a blast with the run-of-the-mill, best-selling 3 Series. And everyone ...

 
Piped Ford F-150 “Dune Raptor” Has Slide-Out Race Bucket Seats and Odd Inspiration
Piped Ford F-150 “Dune Raptor” Has Slide-Out Race Bucket Seats and Odd Inspiration

19 May 2022, 06:59 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While automotive virtual artists usually have a prolific imagination, it is never a bad idea to catch a cool tip from a fellow CGI expert and quickly get the hang of it, even if the model’s inspiration comes from a rather odd direction. ...

 
Turbo Chevy Truck Drags 2JZ Lexus, Nitro Camaro, Supercharged Mopar, Shames All
Turbo Chevy Truck Drags 2JZ Lexus, Nitro Camaro, Supercharged Mopar, Shames All

19 May 2022, 06:19 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Being a little older than the modern pickup truck norm should not deter owners from fulfilling their dreams. Take this almost-vintage turbocharged Chevy single cab short bed pickup truck, for example, and its visions of quarter-mile dragstrip great...

 
Rough 2023 Range Rover Sport Has a CGI Widebody Kit and Humongous Wheels
Rough 2023 Range Rover Sport Has a CGI Widebody Kit and Humongous Wheels

18 May 2022, 21:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Depending on who you ask and which side of the proverbial cup of tea they might be on, it could be rough as in messy, or rough and tough just like an SVR should feel (but never will be). In the end, it will be your choice as beauty is always...

 
RB25DET-Swapped Time Attack “Long Boy” BMW Wagon Feels so Outrageously Cool
RB25DET-Swapped Time Attack “Long Boy” BMW Wagon Feels so Outrageously Cool

18 May 2022, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Over in the real world, things are progressing towards a slightly normal BMW future with the company's 2023 (G20) 3 Series LCI packing slim yet normal headlights, no humongous kidney grille, and a massive new interior display. But across the v...

 
Lifted, Portal Axle 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Might Soon Be a Fantasy Coming True
Lifted, Portal Axle 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Might Soon Be a Fantasy Coming True

18 May 2022, 14:12 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Sometimes, with all the advances in technology and the way some talented folks can recreate life-like CGI apparitions, it is unbelievably hard to tell if a project is just a digital figment of imagination or the real deal. Such is the case w...

 
KAROL G Sure Knows How to Match Outfits With Wrapped Luxury SUVs and Supercars
KAROL G Sure Knows How to Match Outfits With Wrapped Luxury SUVs and Supercars

18 May 2022, 13:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Unless you’re a Spanish-speaking reggaeton and Latin trap devotee, Carolina Giraldo Navarro (aka KAROL G on stage) might only be familiar because of her few English songs, chief among them being Tiesto’s “Don’t Be Shy.&rdquo...

 
Dodge Dart Turns Jeep-Based EV Compact SUV for its Second Modern Reimagining
Dodge Dart Turns Jeep-Based EV Compact SUV for its Second Modern Reimagining

18 May 2022, 11:38 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Dodge, which currently has a very short list of nameplates in production (just like many other Stellantis brands), has seen a lot of love from virtual automotive artists, as of late. Either with real-world-based logic or with tasteful wishful think...

 
Lexus LX 600 Hunkers Down Murdered-Out and With CGI “Shadow Line” Finesse
Lexus LX 600 Hunkers Down Murdered-Out and With CGI “Shadow Line” Finesse

18 May 2022, 10:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Cadillac’s recently unleashed 2023 Escalade-V might be all the rage among full-size SUV enthusiasts these days but that does not mean anyone can play with its 682-pony count just yet. Not in OEM form, and certainly not as the latest aftermark...

 
2022 Chevy Tahoe Z71 Virtually Gains Trail Boss Goodies to Mirror Silverado
2022 Chevy Tahoe Z71 Virtually Gains Trail Boss Goodies to Mirror Silverado

18 May 2022, 09:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It's been almost three years since Chevrolet unveiled the fifth generation Tahoe full-size SUV at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, and one cannot say the seven/eight-seat vehicle is certified fresh. It is not rotten old either, s...

 
650-HP 1937 Nash LaFayette Ditches Classic Lifestyle, Will Harbor a Modern LT4
650-HP 1937 Nash LaFayette Ditches Classic Lifestyle, Will Harbor a Modern LT4

18 May 2022, 08:56 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / “Standing out in a crowd” has been in use across the automotive industry like forever. So much so that it has become a bit trivial and mundane, especially if one manages to stand out in the wrong kind of crowd. But this 1937 Nash LaFaye...

 
2024 Ram 1500 EV Gets Imagined With Sleek Design and Huge 500-Mile Range
2024 Ram 1500 EV Gets Imagined With Sleek Design and Huge 500-Mile Range

18 May 2022, 08:14 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While the 2022 GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T are already on the market, the big fight (according to many) will be duked out between the traditional Detroit Three and a certain Tesla pickup truck. So, is everyone ready? Well, as far as the rea...

 
2022 Land Rover Defender V8 Drags Ford F-150 Raptor, Someone Gets Humiliated
2022 Land Rover Defender V8 Drags Ford F-150 Raptor, Someone Gets Humiliated

18 May 2022, 07:33 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Like someone mentioned in the comment section of this video from the Sam CarLegion channel on YouTube, there is no point in pitting these two vehicles against each other in a straight-line acceleration brawl. But does anyone care about logic t...

 
Imagined Fourth-Gen Dodge Ramcharger Drops 2022 TRX to a Raw, “Street” Level
Imagined Fourth-Gen Dodge Ramcharger Drops 2022 TRX to a Raw, “Street” Level

18 May 2022, 06:37 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / They say that adults should reach a certain point when goofing around is not an option anymore. Alas, the automotive world is the perfect example of how the inner kid within us always finds a way out and manages to set our cravings for the coolest ...

 
Testy, Ratty Saab 99 Sure Does Not Look CGI-Ready to End at a Local Scrapyard
Testy, Ratty Saab 99 Sure Does Not Look CGI-Ready to End at a Local Scrapyard

17 May 2022, 21:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Back when Saab was still producing automobiles, they first discovered the incredible Audi-BMW-Mercedes-fighting potential of the executive compact car class with help from the 1968-1984 Saab 99. Just in case your Scandinavian automotive know...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu