autoevolution

Aurel Niculescu

6,893  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.
2022 Blue Bird Vision Might Get to Schools Faster Thanks to Ford's Godzilla V8
2022 Blue Bird Vision Might Get to Schools Faster Thanks to Ford's Godzilla V8

27 Jan 2021, 08:40 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Sometimes it feels like engine swaps are as old as the automotive industry (probably because they are), but don’t place a bet that you’ve seen them all. That’s because few might have imagined the latest use for the Blue Oval&rsquo...

 
2022 GMC Hummer EV to Also Prove Its Off-Road Mettle as Extreme E SUV Racer
2022 GMC Hummer EV to Also Prove Its Off-Road Mettle as Extreme E SUV Racer

26 Jan 2021, 16:06 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / General Motors has placed a massive bet on the successful revival of the Hummer name with the 2022 GMC Hummer EV fully electric “supertruck.” It’s going to be expensive, riddled with premium features, ready for off-road adventures...

 
1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Makes Us All Ivy Green With Envy Before Seeing the Price
1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Makes Us All Ivy Green With Envy Before Seeing the Price

26 Jan 2021, 13:45 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Carroll Shelby's Cobras have dominated both competitions and the hearts of automotive enthusiasts like few cars before or after them. Widely regarded as one of the best impersonations of a muscle machine, the series had its own pinnacles ...

 
2021 Ford Broncos Catch Fire While Carried by Inaptly Named “Reliable” Trailer
2021 Ford Broncos Catch Fire While Carried by Inaptly Named “Reliable” Trailer

26 Jan 2021, 13:05 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ever since the first rumors started doing the rounds online and even after the July 2020 boiling point, the 2021 Ford Bronco has been one of the hottest (pun intended) automotive industry subjects. Still unaccounted for at dealerships, the rei...

 
Euro-Spec 2021 Mazda CX-5 Goes on Sale, Comes With Homura Special Edition
Euro-Spec 2021 Mazda CX-5 Goes on Sale, Comes With Homura Special Edition

26 Jan 2021, 12:16 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Freshly upgraded with a new infotainment display, the latest connected services, and sporting enhanced driving dynamics as well as lower harmful emissions, the 2021 Mazda CX-5 is now on sale across Europe. Mazda is apparently taking the Brexit...

 
191-HP 2021 Mazda CX-5 Arrives in the UK Alongside Kuro Special Edition
191-HP 2021 Mazda CX-5 Arrives in the UK Alongside Kuro Special Edition

26 Jan 2021, 11:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It’s a pretty safe bet to say Mazda’s CX-5 crossover is one of the most popular vehicles in the Japanese automaker’s current lineup. Starting this very month, British fans will be getting the upgraded, 2021MY version of the SUV, a...

 
C8 Chevy Corvette Takes Scenic Drive of America, Epic Journey Was 9K Miles Long
C8 Chevy Corvette Takes Scenic Drive of America, Epic Journey Was 9K Miles Long

26 Jan 2021, 10:10 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just about everyone knows very well that 2020 was an unforgettable year – unfortunately not because of its positive aspects. Automotive enthusiasts, for example, felt the impact of the restrictions in many ways, including seeing their careful...

 
Ford and Lincoln Design Boss to Retire, Makes Way for Renault Captur Stylist
Ford and Lincoln Design Boss to Retire, Makes Way for Renault Captur Stylist

26 Jan 2021, 09:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Labeled as one of the most “influential design leaders” of the automotive industry, Moray Callum is about to step out of his vice president office at Ford following a successful, 38-year-long career in product development. He’s go...

 
1988 Ford Mustang LX Might Be the Perfect Fox Body in White for a Custom Project
1988 Ford Mustang LX Might Be the Perfect Fox Body in White for a Custom Project

26 Jan 2021, 08:15 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Very few automobile series have the star power of the original pony car, even though some of its generations are less memorable than others. Still, the third generation “Fox Body” Mustang has its devotees, perhaps specifically due to it...

 
Meet “DAL-e,” the Cutesy AI Robot That Will Help Hyundai With Customer Services
Meet “DAL-e,” the Cutesy AI Robot That Will Help Hyundai With Customer Services

25 Jan 2021, 14:21 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Don’t worry, this little robot is way too cute to bring back memories of HAL 9000-infused nightmares to folks that grew up reading Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series. Instead, it could open a window into the future of seamless, AI-p...

 
Skoda Teases the Camouflaged Looks of Its Upcoming "Made in India" Kushaq CUV
Skoda Teases the Camouflaged Looks of Its Upcoming "Made in India" Kushaq CUV

25 Jan 2021, 13:44 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / A couple of weeks ago, Skoda revealed the name of the first production model based on the MQB-A0-IN architecture, a vehicle specifically developed by the Czech automaker for the Indian market. Dubbed the Kushaq, this mid-size (according to Indian m...

 
Check Out a 2-Door 2021 Ford Bronco Going “Naked” to Enjoy the Michigan Snow
Check Out a 2-Door 2021 Ford Bronco Going “Naked” to Enjoy the Michigan Snow

25 Jan 2021, 12:54 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The reinvented 2021 Ford Bronco is not only one of the biggest novelties of the automotive world – at least as far as North America is concerned – but also one of the most elusive. Because of social media fame, though, some people are l...

 
Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora to Bow Out in Favor Of All-New Sports Car Series
Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora to Bow Out in Favor Of All-New Sports Car Series

25 Jan 2021, 12:09 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Lotus Cars, the legendary British sports car maker now under Zhejiang Geely and Etika Automotive's guidance, has both good and bad news for 2021. According to the proposed business strategy, there’s more than £100 million (around $...

 
"Survivor" 1966 Ford F-250 Is Getting Ready for a 2020 GT500 Engine and DCT Swap
"Survivor" 1966 Ford F-250 Is Getting Ready for a 2020 GT500 Engine and DCT Swap

25 Jan 2021, 11:01 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We have seen our fair share of crazy engineering achievements involving Ford’s ubiquitous F-Series of pickup trucks. With fourteen generations of wonders and countless versions, the F-Series certainly has many custom projects going for it. ...

 
Ford Bronco Fans Have a Special Card From Visa to Earn Their Blue Oval Rewards
Ford Bronco Fans Have a Special Card From Visa to Earn Their Blue Oval Rewards

25 Jan 2021, 10:06 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The automotive sector and the financing industry have gone hand in hand for decades, and today there are numerous credit cards out there celebrating the connection. Since late last year, there’s also one that specifically caters to the Blue O...

 
Ford Edge and Fusion Are Unlikely Contenders to Night-Time Quarter-Mile Glory
Ford Edge and Fusion Are Unlikely Contenders to Night-Time Quarter-Mile Glory

25 Jan 2021, 09:16 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / A crossover SUV and a midsize sedan are something you would usually expect to see at a family picnic or in a corporation’s parking lot. But the sticky nature of the drag strip allows for marvelous things to happen, including a shot at memorab...

 
2022 Kia Sportage Render Takes Bold Approach Up Front, Rear End Is a Lot Tamer
2022 Kia Sportage Render Takes Bold Approach Up Front, Rear End Is a Lot Tamer

25 Jan 2021, 08:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With the 2021 Hyundai Tucson already out and about at home, in Europe, or the U.S., the attention has naturally turned towards its architecture sibling, the 2022 Kia Sportage. And the South Korean automaker probably has equally wonderful things to ...

 
UK Buyers of Limited-Edition DS 7 Crossback Louvre Will Get Free Museum Access
UK Buyers of Limited-Edition DS 7 Crossback Louvre Will Get Free Museum Access

24 Jan 2021, 09:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / “Musée du Louvre” (a.k.a. the Louvre Museum) is not only the world’s largest museum or a globally renowned historical monument of Paris, France. It turns out the folks running this landmark of the French capital are also ke...

 
Care For a C6 Chevy Corvette Alternative? Here's a Low-Mileage 2006 Cadillac XLR
Care For a C6 Chevy Corvette Alternative? Here's a Low-Mileage 2006 Cadillac XLR

24 Jan 2021, 08:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Produced as a single generation from 2003 to 2009, the Cadillac XLR was a classic premium roadster with a massive Northstar V8 up front, rear-wheel drive, and a retractable hardtop. Notable for a few quirks, such as the Bulgari-designed instrumenta...

 
One-Off VW Polo Harlekin Arrives From The Netherlands to Signal It's 1995 Again
One-Off VW Polo Harlekin Arrives From The Netherlands to Signal It's 1995 Again

23 Jan 2021, 09:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Anyone who doesn’t agree that Volkswagen’s range of cars could benefit from a bit of spicing up is probably a die-hard fan of the decidedly traditionalist company. Just look at the uncanny resemblance between the classic from 1995 and i...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu