autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,187  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.
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...

 
Feisty Toyota GR Corolla Sedan Could Make Subaru WRX Virtually Green With Envy
Feisty Toyota GR Corolla Sedan Could Make Subaru WRX Virtually Green With Envy

5 Apr 2022, 09:47 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Toyota recently unveiled the most potent Corolla the world has ever seen, and it proudly wears the Gazoo Racing (GR) moniker alongside the GR Yaris, GR86, and GR Supra. However, some may not be satisfied with the five-door hatchback body style. ...

 
BMW M4 “Performance” Avoids Grille Issues, Seeks 800-HP CGI Widebody Life
BMW M4 “Performance” Avoids Grille Issues, Seeks 800-HP CGI Widebody Life

5 Apr 2022, 09:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Unless one is completely oblivious to what troubles the automotive industry as of late, the BMW grille controversy is not a strange topic. However, some people just choose to completely ignore it, even if only virtually. Sure, among chip shor...

 
Alfa Stelvio Imagined With Aggressive New SUV Face, Dark Accents, and Low Stance
Alfa Stelvio Imagined With Aggressive New SUV Face, Dark Accents, and Low Stance

5 Apr 2022, 08:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although in the real world most spotlights have turned on the pricier and slightly larger Maserati Grecale, not all virtual automotive artists have moved on from Alfa Rome’s all-new, first-ever Tonale. And that is digitally great for Giulia a...

 
Bagged 1960s Buick Riviera GS Has Saucy Candy Apple Red Land Yacht Digital Vibes
Bagged 1960s Buick Riviera GS Has Saucy Candy Apple Red Land Yacht Digital Vibes

5 Apr 2022, 07:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Often, when dealing with a classic icon, all you can do is subtly enhance its defining traits to make sure it will not only stand out in any crowd but also mesmerize the entire audience. Even if only virtually. For Americana automotive enthus...

 
Tesla Model X Plaid Drags 992 Porsche Turbo S, Absolute Destruction Occurs Twice
Tesla Model X Plaid Drags 992 Porsche Turbo S, Absolute Destruction Occurs Twice

5 Apr 2022, 06:31 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Now that the initial hype for Tesla’s Model S Plaid has somewhat subsided, it is probably time for both enthusiasts and naysayers to refocus on a slightly different EV. And start the polemics all over again... Although many people contin...

 
GM Design Sketches Red Hot Chevy SUV, Camaro and Corvette Fans Are Stoked
GM Design Sketches Red Hot Chevy SUV, Camaro and Corvette Fans Are Stoked

4 Apr 2022, 21:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As always, a behind-the-scenes look at what happens behind “closed doors” may reveal – to the uninitiated – at least part of the work done in advance of a finished product. And it only gets better when automakers are involve...

 
3-Door Toyota GR Corolla Too Impractical? Have a Digital Touring Version, Then
3-Door Toyota GR Corolla Too Impractical? Have a Digital Touring Version, Then

4 Apr 2022, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Toyota Gazoo Racing just rocked North America’s Hot Hatch enthusiast world by officially presenting their fourth “bespoke” model, 2023’s GR Corolla. A bigger, more powerful sibling to the equally rally-bred GR Yaris, and als...

 
Cheap 1981 Datsun 210 Wagon Looks Amazing at Almost 200k Miles, There's a Catch
Cheap 1981 Datsun 210 Wagon Looks Amazing at Almost 200k Miles, There's a Catch

4 Apr 2022, 14:48 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Sure, family-oriented, grocery-getting station wagons are slowly falling out of fashion everywhere, not just (abruptly) in the United States. But wouldn’t that be the perfect moment to stand out in a JDM crowd? Today, only a small niche...

 
“Crypto” Dawn, Phantom and Cullinan Art Cars Roamed Miami Streets for NFT Week
“Crypto” Dawn, Phantom and Cullinan Art Cars Roamed Miami Streets for NFT Week

4 Apr 2022, 14:09 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Rolls-Royce itself is no stranger to crazy OEM wraps. Just take a look at the contrast between the 2024 Spectre and the icy cold-weather testing location if you need an example. But they still manage to look so traditionally obsolete... Even ...

 
Formula D Had the First Production Widebody Kits for 2023 Nissan Z, GR Corolla
Formula D Had the First Production Widebody Kits for 2023 Nissan Z, GR Corolla

4 Apr 2022, 13:18 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just in case anyone needs a little virtual automotive design pep talk to follow their digital dreams, there was an easy example available over the weekend. And it all revolved around an influential artist and an iconic JDM-style competition. ...

 
2023 Lotus Eletre EV SUV Gets Rightfully Converted Into a Two-Door GT Coupe
2023 Lotus Eletre EV SUV Gets Rightfully Converted Into a Two-Door GT Coupe

4 Apr 2022, 11:12 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While everyone in North America is rightfully stoked and obsessed by the arrival of the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla widebody 300-hp hot hatchback, some Euro folks are still trying to cope with the battery-powered, quirky 2023 Eletre SUV. In their own, s...

 
Ford Mustang Morphs as Japanese Mid-Engine “RR” to Wide-Shame S650 Tardiness
Ford Mustang Morphs as Japanese Mid-Engine “RR” to Wide-Shame S650 Tardiness

4 Apr 2022, 10:31 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Right now, Blue Oval passenger car enthusiasts do not have a lot of reasons to feel proud of their favorite Detroit automaker. There is just a singular nameplate left, and even that one is not doing too well these days... As we speak, those g...

 
2023 Toyota GR Corolla Turns Three-Door “GR Yarolla” to Mix in Best GR Yaris Trait
2023 Toyota GR Corolla Turns Three-Door “GR Yarolla” to Mix in Best GR Yaris Trait

4 Apr 2022, 09:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Once the 2023 GR Corolla was officially released, some were quick to point out that it feels like Akio Toyoda’s love letter to North American WRC/Hot Hatch enthusiasts. But that does not mean everyone thinks the 300-hp compact is perfect... ...

 
Holley Sky-Ram Fits Like CGI Charm on Ram “Giramfe,” Just Needs Moonshot NOS Now
Holley Sky-Ram Fits Like CGI Charm on Ram “Giramfe,” Just Needs Moonshot NOS Now

4 Apr 2022, 08:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We always need to laugh a little, so there really is no surprise everyone dives in on the April Fools’ Day jokes. Including both the real and imaginary automotive industries. There are always layers of understanding and a wide variety o...

 
1988 Chevy Camaro Has Rear-Fitted ZZ632 and Digital Hoonigan Carbon Fiber Dreams
1988 Chevy Camaro Has Rear-Fitted ZZ632 and Digital Hoonigan Carbon Fiber Dreams

4 Apr 2022, 07:30 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Fans of the 2021 SEMA Show lovingly remember that edition for being a real-world affair all over again, as well as for some of the mind-blowing creations that graced the event. And some aficionados will also do something 3D about their favorites. ...

 
Shelby GT500 Drags BMW M4, Kia Stinger, Audi, Surprise Humiliation Narrowly Averted
Shelby GT500 Drags BMW M4, Kia Stinger, Audi, Surprise Humiliation Narrowly Averted

4 Apr 2022, 06:22 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As always, one can never go wrong when trying to showcase an excerpt of the seemingly eternal America vs. Import quarter-mile dragstrip wars if one of the contenders is Blue Oval’s flagship muscle car. Or is it going to shame all its stock, O...

 
Why Are Ultra-Luxury SUVs Fugly, And Super-SUVs Like Eletre So Darn Quirky?
Why Are Ultra-Luxury SUVs Fugly, And Super-SUVs Like Eletre So Darn Quirky?

3 Apr 2022, 10:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Noticed how posh crossovers like Bentley’s Bentayga or Rolls-Royce's Cullinan are not exactly gorgeous design exercises? Or that super-SUVs such as Lambo’s Urus or the upcoming Ferrari Purosangue are pretty freaking odd? Well, it g...

 
ARB’s New Flinders Rooftop Tent Seems Perfect for a 2023 Ford F-150 Rattler
ARB’s New Flinders Rooftop Tent Seems Perfect for a 2023 Ford F-150 Rattler

2 Apr 2022, 10:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Finally, the dreadful winter is almost over, and we can all start pondering the spring road trip adventures. But wait, perhaps we should first get some new accessories, and maybe even a new truck... Among the many everyday woes there is alway...

 
Acura Integra Shows Honda Type R Wagon Back to Make M3 Touring Green With Envy
Acura Integra Shows Honda Type R Wagon Back to Make M3 Touring Green With Envy

1 Apr 2022, 21:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Right now, it seems BMW cannot get enough of station wagons in its 3 Series life, whether those are of the villain-capturing variety or the high-performance M3 Touring breed. But with a little help from a CGI expert, here is something JDM to make i...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu