autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,166  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.
Toyota GR Corolla Cross CGI-Updates Sports Credentials to Potential Flagship Level
Toyota GR Corolla Cross CGI-Updates Sports Credentials to Potential Flagship Level

7 Apr 2022, 09:31 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ever since Toyota presented the 2023 GR Corolla at the end of last month, we have observed a noticeable uptick in new-model virtual automotive artist interest. Hence, digital hype is crossing new thresholds. The Japanese automaker has seeming...

 
Virtual All-Electric Toyota E-Cruiser Doesn't Seem to Belong to Any SUV Family
Virtual All-Electric Toyota E-Cruiser Doesn't Seem to Belong to Any SUV Family

7 Apr 2022, 09:01 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The legendary Japanese automaker finally conceded to reality and late last year decided it might as well become the coolest OEM on the battery-powered EV block in just one swift, comprehensive blow. However, not everyone got the memo. While a...

 
Slammed R34 Nissan GT-R Has Pure, Matte Widebody Stagea Family Wagon Dreams
Slammed R34 Nissan GT-R Has Pure, Matte Widebody Stagea Family Wagon Dreams

7 Apr 2022, 08:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / After interspersing his usual JDM heroes with a lengthy series of Americana or Euro monsters, Musa Rio Tjahjono, the virtual artist better known as musartwork on social media, is again kicking the pedal to the metal with something that screams...

 
Digital Toyota GR HiAce Widebody Van Looks Like Gazoo Racing for Entire Families
Digital Toyota GR HiAce Widebody Van Looks Like Gazoo Racing for Entire Families

7 Apr 2022, 07:30 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Since Toyota unveiled the latest member of the bespoke, range-topping Gazoo Racing family, virtual automotive artists have been on GR Corolla fire. Sometimes for the better, other times with crazy ideas. The ailing North American Hot Hatch ni...

 
2022 Land Rover Defender V8 Drags Ram 1500 TRX, One of Them Eats Ice, Not Dust
2022 Land Rover Defender V8 Drags Ram 1500 TRX, One of Them Eats Ice, Not Dust

7 Apr 2022, 06:37 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ever since Land Rover bestowed the 2022MY upgrades upon its legendary, reinvented Defender, most people have been raving about the new capabilities of its flagship 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Especially the quarter-mile ones... Both the three-d...

 
Tubular-Caged Ferrari GTC4Lusso Thrown on CGI Hill Looks Ready For Overlanding
Tubular-Caged Ferrari GTC4Lusso Thrown on CGI Hill Looks Ready For Overlanding

6 Apr 2022, 21:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The renowned Prancing Horse brand is diligently getting ready to start a new five-door SUV way of life with the upcoming Purosangue. So, all Tifosi probably feel like they do not need any other “off-roader” in their life. Or do they? ...

 
Mercedes-AMG G 63 Van Looks Like Brabus Took Up 900 Rockets for Delivery Services
Mercedes-AMG G 63 Van Looks Like Brabus Took Up 900 Rockets for Delivery Services

6 Apr 2022, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Initially envisioned as a military-focused, no-frills boxy off-roader, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has one of the best “rags to riches” stories an entire automotive industry has ever seen. But what if there was a CGI way to combine the be...

 
1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS Wants to Subtly Impress In All the Right V8 Places
1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS Wants to Subtly Impress In All the Right V8 Places

6 Apr 2022, 13:48 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Looking exactly as if a cowboy decided to make Chevy cars seem better prepared for Texas, the legacy of the El Camino nameplate does not need too much introduction. It only needs a little bit of SS swagger. Rocking an original Maroon paintjob...

 
2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge Thinks Tempest Gray Equals SUV Perfection
2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge Thinks Tempest Gray Equals SUV Perfection

6 Apr 2022, 12:33 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While there have been Rolls-Royce Cullinan Art Car exceptions on occasion, many aftermarket experts will gladly point out that the ultra-luxury SUV usually requires a monochromatic approach to builds that seek to stand out in an affluent crowd. ...

 
Shoe Box ‘63 Chevy Nova Restomod Is Blue and Carbon Ready for New Pro Touring Life
Shoe Box ‘63 Chevy Nova Restomod Is Blue and Carbon Ready for New Pro Touring Life

6 Apr 2022, 11:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Spanish-speaking people used to make fun of the vintage Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova models and fans calling the first two generations “shoeboxes” certainly did not help its cause. However, the classic car market has seen a lot of bonker tra...

 
Unofficial 2023 Cadillac CT6 Will Probably Make Everyone Sad It Abandoned U.S.
Unofficial 2023 Cadillac CT6 Will Probably Make Everyone Sad It Abandoned U.S.

6 Apr 2022, 09:40 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Cadillac has a couple of new vehicles in the pipeline, ready to join the current sedan and crossover SUV roster. However, none of them look both flat and sporty. They are either sustainable or high-performance. It is not hard to guess what Ca...

 
2022 Ford EcoSport EV Welcomes Lightning Into Its Life as Final Survival Effort
2022 Ford EcoSport EV Welcomes Lightning Into Its Life as Final Survival Effort

6 Apr 2022, 08:54 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Right now, although it is Blue Oval’s most affordable crossover and packs a 2.0-liter engine plus AWD, the Ford EcoSport also counts among the least beloved vehicles available in the United States. And, by all accounts, its real-world fate is...

 
2023 Toyota GR Corolla CGI Has Wider Tuning Way Forward, Normal Exhaust Life
2023 Toyota GR Corolla CGI Has Wider Tuning Way Forward, Normal Exhaust Life

6 Apr 2022, 08:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / What has happened with the automotive industry if virtual artists are now going to great lengths to resolve OEM quirkiness?! We are being a tad ironic, but the Toyota GR Corolla would have been almost perfect if not for a design oddity. Late ...

 
2023 Nissan Z Becomes Subtle Fairlady Z432 Clone With Customized Proto DNA
2023 Nissan Z Becomes Subtle Fairlady Z432 Clone With Customized Proto DNA

6 Apr 2022, 07:33 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Do you think that marketing and publicity do not have an impact on people? As it turns out, even virtual automotive artists can fall under its charms, albeit with a few twists of their own. Now that we are fast approaching the magical moment ...

 
Tesla Model 3s Drag Camaro ZL1, Challenger Hellcat, Old Muscle and Don't Win All
Tesla Model 3s Drag Camaro ZL1, Challenger Hellcat, Old Muscle and Don't Win All

6 Apr 2022, 06:50 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / After seeing a Tesla Model X Plaid battle the 992-generation Porsche 911 Turbo S and obliterate the German performance sports car not once, but twice, it is time for another set of polemic-inducing ICE vs. EV skirmishes. This time around, with &ldq...

 
Austin Mahone's Birthday and Wrap Art Cars Were Celebrated Together, Naturally
Austin Mahone's Birthday and Wrap Art Cars Were Celebrated Together, Naturally

5 Apr 2022, 21:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Independent American singer and songwriter Austin Mahone celebrated his 25th birthday on April 4th, 2022, so the achievement could not pass unnoticed by some of his longtime friends and collaborators. And, as far as his Art Car collection is concer...

 
Digitally-Wild McLaren P959 Hypercar Thinks Tulip Dreams Are Natural Habitats
Digitally-Wild McLaren P959 Hypercar Thinks Tulip Dreams Are Natural Habitats

5 Apr 2022, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / There is nothing wrong with being a workaholic if one knows how to properly take advantage of certain safety valves. And that is entirely valid for virtual automotive content creators as well. Case in point, London, United Kingdom-based virtu...

 
Murdered-Out Jeep Trackhawk Looks Darkly Menacing But It's Mostly B6 Protective
Murdered-Out Jeep Trackhawk Looks Darkly Menacing But It's Mostly B6 Protective

5 Apr 2022, 13:49 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Jeep’s fifth-generation Grand Cherokee (WL) is already running around in regular and long-wheelbase L form, but fans might still want the WK2 predecessor instead. Especially when said forebearer also has the Trackhawk moniker on the pink slip...

 
Unicorn 1978 Ford Bronco Cruisaire Does Not Feel Like the Average Patina Coyote
Unicorn 1978 Ford Bronco Cruisaire Does Not Feel Like the Average Patina Coyote

5 Apr 2022, 13:14 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ford’s reinvented sixth-generation Bronco gets so much hype simply because his ancestors are the stuff of legend. Some of them quite literally, as they were turned into literal unicorns with help from little-known companies. In between ...

 
Dodge Journey Revival Welcomes Stelvio-Based Compact SUV, Fills Hornet-Durango Gap
Dodge Journey Revival Welcomes Stelvio-Based Compact SUV, Fills Hornet-Durango Gap

5 Apr 2022, 10:47 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Stellantis’ North American arm has quite a few legendary brands under its belt. Alas, some of them are severely underdeveloped these troubled days and virtual automotive artists would very much like to change that. Let us think of Chrys...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu