autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,156  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.
Ford Mustang Sport Trac Might Be a Shelby Explorer We Deserve but Will Never Get
Ford Mustang Sport Trac Might Be a Shelby Explorer We Deserve but Will Never Get

28 Mar 2022, 07:25 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Let us face it. Although Ford’s Mustang Mach-E seems to be selling well, diehard Blue Oval fans might never accept this was the right battery-powered crossover SUV thing to do. And virtual automotive artists are not helping the OEM case eithe...

 
1980 Buick Century Estate Sleeper Wagon Drags Truck, Blows Piston and Still Wins
1980 Buick Century Estate Sleeper Wagon Drags Truck, Blows Piston and Still Wins

28 Mar 2022, 06:20 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Quarter-mile aficionados know a thing or two about the Hot Rod Drag Week, but sometimes these events are just too big, costly, or lengthy for “regular” dragstrip folk. No worries, though; there are solutions to the predicament. Ex...

 
Special Alfa Tonale Is Not Enough? Then Have a Maserati Grecale Fuoriserie Instead
Special Alfa Tonale Is Not Enough? Then Have a Maserati Grecale Fuoriserie Instead

27 Mar 2022, 08:36 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / After a decidedly long drought, two of Stellantis’ most beloved sporty/luxury car brands have churned out all-new models almost at the same time. So, Alfa Romeo now has the 2023 Tonale, while Maserati hopes to conquer new sale heights, Grecal...

 
Slammed, Widebody Lambo Murcielago and Acura NSX Explicitly Soak Up a JDM Spring
Slammed, Widebody Lambo Murcielago and Acura NSX Explicitly Soak Up a JDM Spring

27 Mar 2022, 06:20 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / If there is a casual, springtime way of crossing the slammed widebody bridge of time to jointly bask in the illusion of explicit Lamborghini Murcielago and Acura NSX designs, then influential virtual artist Jon Sibal has certainly found it. B...

 
Yevana Converts Any Dacia Dokker Stepway Into Cozy, Affordable Moonlight Campers
Yevana Converts Any Dacia Dokker Stepway Into Cozy, Affordable Moonlight Campers

26 Mar 2022, 11:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Not long ago, we highlighted, among a myriad of premium truck-based camper conversions, the unique work of Loki Basecamp that morphed an unsuspecting Ram 3500 into a murdered-out Falcon 8. Now, let us go the opposite, tiny minivan corner. Sur...

 
White Range Rover to Deep Matte Black Transformation Is a Properly Menacing SVR
White Range Rover to Deep Matte Black Transformation Is a Properly Menacing SVR

25 Mar 2022, 22:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Land Rover is diligently taking care of its Range Rover series. The regular flagship is graciously accompanying the Royal Family (Prince William and Kate Middleton, to be more precise) and the 2023 SVR is a next-generation super-SUV that sounds del...

 
Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge Has Gold Chrome Reverie, Thinks Dubai Style Fits
Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge Has Gold Chrome Reverie, Thinks Dubai Style Fits

25 Mar 2022, 22:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just recently, the European Space Agency's (ESA) Solar Orbiter stared directly at the Sun and snapped a very cool high-res picture. However, it is going to be much easier to check out the bright star in our galaxy than this virtual Rolls-Royce...

 
Stick Shift 2022 Ford Bronco Lifted on 37s Feels Ready for Muddy Spring Road Trips
Stick Shift 2022 Ford Bronco Lifted on 37s Feels Ready for Muddy Spring Road Trips

25 Mar 2022, 14:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The OEM dust has settled on the 2022 Bronco after Ford revealed the Everglades special edition and the feisty dune-bashing, rock-crawling Bronco Raptor, for sure. But the same cannot be said about the aftermarket realm, which is always after the ne...

 
1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Would Live Rent-Free in Our Feisty Collectibles Garage
1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Would Live Rent-Free in Our Feisty Collectibles Garage

25 Mar 2022, 13:27 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Because it was produced for just one model year, the original 1993 Fox Body Mustang SVT Cobra is not only turning into a classic muscle car but also a rather expensive collectible. However, there are still enough seductive examples out there. ...

 
Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 Off-Road Project Might Become Real, One Day Hit the G Spot
Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 Off-Road Project Might Become Real, One Day Hit the G Spot

25 Mar 2022, 11:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Well, perhaps it is not going to nail the G-Class sweet spot just as outrageously as the new Brabus 800 XLP Superwhite that is a mighty AMG G63 pickup with portal axles! But, just in case our hunch is substantiated, and it does turn from rendering ...

 
2022 Roush F-150 Has Arrived, Swears Premium Performance From $18,500
2022 Roush F-150 Has Arrived, Swears Premium Performance From $18,500

25 Mar 2022, 09:44 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Following the introduction of the $13,250 (above vehicle price) package for the current, 2022 North American Ford Ranger, the Livonia, Michigan-based aftermarket specialist is officially continuing the spring 2022MY novelties with their $18,500 bui...

 
Bagged AMG GT Roadster Now Has JDM Dreams of Spring to Atone for Its Demise
Bagged AMG GT Roadster Now Has JDM Dreams of Spring to Atone for Its Demise

25 Mar 2022, 09:02 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Right now, Mercedes-AMG is sparing no artsy expense to focus on the all-new R232 seventh-generation SL Class. However, that does not mean we should just forget the GT series existed. Both in the real world, as the Affalterbach-based high-perf...

 
Kia K5 With Digital “Shadow Line” Wants to Forget the Bland Optima Ever Existed
Kia K5 With Digital “Shadow Line” Wants to Forget the Bland Optima Ever Existed

25 Mar 2022, 08:30 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / For the love of the automotive industry, not everything has to find gravitas around crossovers, SUVs, or trucks. Not going to go as far as claiming minivans are still cool but some station wagons or sedans deserve a bit of love and hype, at least i...

 
State Your Digital 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V Truck Business: Single Cab or full EXT-V?
State Your Digital 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V Truck Business: Single Cab or full EXT-V?

25 Mar 2022, 07:43 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ever since Cadillac delivered the soft debut of their 2023 Escalade-V high-performance SUV, we have been eagerly anticipating the moment when it will hit the market, dragstrip, and the aftermarket realm. However, we did not imagine it as a potentia...

 
Huracan Drags Model X Plaid Twice, Doesn't Stand a Chance But Sounds Heavenly
Huracan Drags Model X Plaid Twice, Doesn't Stand a Chance But Sounds Heavenly

25 Mar 2022, 07:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although we have always come to expect the unexpected when feisty quarter-mile dragstrip battles are involved, sometimes we just wait in vain. Luckily, there is always a way to find positive stuff even in the limelight. Eight years after prod...

 
GMC Hummer EV Battles Rivian R1T and Plaid, Also the Indomitable Laws of Physics
GMC Hummer EV Battles Rivian R1T and Plaid, Also the Indomitable Laws of Physics

24 Mar 2022, 22:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / What happens when you have a couple of brand-new EV pickup trucks at your disposal along with the Willow Springs straight? You drag and roll them, of course, complete with a bonkers EV crossover SUV twist! Fans of Canada's Thomas Holland ...

 
Low Mitsubishi Galant on Wide Digital Steroids Eschews Any Chivalrous Finicality
Low Mitsubishi Galant on Wide Digital Steroids Eschews Any Chivalrous Finicality

24 Mar 2022, 22:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It is never a bad idea to go against the traditional ethos and simply step way out of your comfort zone to try something new. Especially when you are a virtual automotive artist, and you have hidden JDM cravings. Emmanuel Brito, the pixel mas...

 
Almost-Classic '97 Ford F-250 Heavy-Duty 4WD Truck Offered With Dirt-Cheap Tag
Almost-Classic '97 Ford F-250 Heavy-Duty 4WD Truck Offered With Dirt-Cheap Tag

24 Mar 2022, 15:27 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Not long now, the early model-year examples of the benchmark tenth generation of Ford’s F-Series will gain the classic vehicle cult status. Still, only those who are worthy will also get a chance at 4x4 glory. Not every person is the sam...

 
Black Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Dips Its Huge Forgiato Toes In Joyful, Yellow Touches
Black Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Dips Its Huge Forgiato Toes In Joyful, Yellow Touches

24 Mar 2022, 14:26 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Sometimes, you could be an Emerald Green Mercedes-AMG and still look like pure evil because of the custom TopCar INFERNO full body kit. Other times, a potentially murdered-out GLE 53 attire refrains from becoming menacing thanks to careful, partial...

 
2023 Ferrari Purosangue SUV Imagined One Last Time Ahead of Incumbent Unveiling
2023 Ferrari Purosangue SUV Imagined One Last Time Ahead of Incumbent Unveiling

24 Mar 2022, 13:49 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Not long now and the Lamborghini Urus shall tremble in fear at the sight of the first-ever five-door Ferrari Purosangue ultra-posh high-performance SUV. But before that happens, let us imagine the menacing looks one last virtual time. Most au...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu