Aurel Niculescu
9,154 ARTICLES
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.
1969 Plymouth Road Runner Flaunts Crate Hemi V8, Beep-Beep Costs an Arm and Leg
25 Oct 2021, 14:31 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / During the late 1960s, Chrysler wanted to go back to the basics with some of its mid-size performance cars. Thus, the iconic Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Super Bee were born to fight the likes of Chevrolet’s Chevelle SS396 or the Pontiac GT...
Lambo Huracan STO Gets Sound-Hooned on Autobahn, 201 MPH Looks Effortless
25 Oct 2021, 13:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Lamborghini performed a little case of “reverse engineering” on the Huracan Super Trofeo EVO and GT3 EVO racers to breed life into the STO, possibly the last naturally-aspirated V10 incarnation of the series. And a glorious one, for sur...
C8 Chevy Corvette Has AWD and Front Engine, Turns Urus-Rivaling “Super-SUV”
25 Oct 2021, 13:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / According to Lamborghini, its Urus mid-size luxury crossover is the “first Super Sport Utility Vehicle” in the world. One that has expertly combined the cool delicacies of a sports car with the inherent practicality of an SUV. Rig...
Porsche 993 GT2 Evo Is a Winged “Dream” Mashup of Euro, JDM, and U.S. Cultures
25 Oct 2021, 11:22 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Because it officially marks the end of the air-cooled era, the 993 generation of the iconic Porsche 911 occupies a special place in the minds and souls of classic German sports car aficionados. And rightfully so, considering some of its traits. ...
Slammed BMW 2002 Shows M4 How It's Done, Infamous Details Are Widebody Subtle
25 Oct 2021, 10:57 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / These days, everyone from the BMW fan community has something to say about the controversial design choices of the Bavarian automaker. Some are decidedly vocal, while others are incredibly subtle even when performing outrageous makeovers. Mus...
1970 Chevy 454 Rockingham Looks Ready for Alternate Past SS Aero Warrior Battle
25 Oct 2021, 09:50 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Chrysler’s features into the Aero Warriors category, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona and 1970 Plymouth Superbird are also the most famous of all. But that doesn’t mean these quirky muscle cars were alone. History remembers the 1969...
Iconic P1800 Gets Virtually Sustainable Makeover to Lure Both Volvo and Polestar
25 Oct 2021, 09:02 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Fans of classic 1960s European sports cars hardly need an introduction to the legendary Volvo P1800 series. After all, “The Saint” took care of that, while tales of its iconic reliability dwarf even the coolest Mercedes-Benz stories... ...
Datsun 720 Imagined for the Retro-Modern Age With 2022 Nissan Frontier Looks
25 Oct 2021, 08:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Now that both North and South America are all the rage about compact pickup trucks, gone but not forgotten nameplates are making victorious comebacks. Some, unfortunately, only for some virtual glory. Latin America has shown a growing fondnes...
Emelia Hartford Hears Corvette Z06 Roar to Redline, Jordan Taylor Is Very Hush Hush
25 Oct 2021, 07:19 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Because of the incessant spying of the new Corvette Z06 version and the incredible fan hype, it kind of feels superfluous for Chevrolet to set up a teasing campaign. But of course, the marketing department must earn a living. So, along with a...
Twin Turbo Mustang Drags “Imports:” 2JZ Camaro and 240, Along With Big Block RX-7
25 Oct 2021, 06:26 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Sticking with the tradition of being the early fall drag racing event to go, FL2K 2021 took place at the Bradenton Motorsport Park in Bradenton, Florida, between October 7th through 10th. And the classic action didn’t disappoint, nor did its ...
Orange and Black Might Look Perfect on These Supercars on a Stylish Halloween
24 Oct 2021, 10:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / This month is all about trick or treating, from all possible angles as well as all shapes and forms. Of course, October has traditional Halloween attire splashed all over, so let’s go for as much orange and black as possible. While Hall...
Ford Mustang GT Drags Modded Toyota GR Supra, Shelby GT500 Also Gets Eaten Alive
24 Oct 2021, 08:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / A lot of new generation cars will try and prove their mettle against traditional quarter-mile foes. But now and then a slightly older contender will become a decidedly tough nut to crack... every time. Let’s face it, how many times has ...
Buick GNX Mashes DNA With GMC Syclone, CGI-Transforms Into Menacing “SyX”
24 Oct 2021, 07:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although Ram’s 1500 TRX and the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor R might suggest otherwise, OEMs aren’t too keen on bringing to life utterly cool high-performance pickup trucks. So, it’s up to virtual artists to mix and match them. ...
Rolls-Royce Proves Its Black Badge Commissions Are Deeply Rooted in History
23 Oct 2021, 10:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Because individuality is praised beyond belief, especially when associated with a huge bank account, Rolls-Royce has all sorts of customization temptations at one’s disposal. And, when opting for a Cullinan, Wraith, or Dawn, the Black Badge i...
Toile de Jouy Lambo Aventador and Huracan Is a Different Kind of Dior Collection
23 Oct 2021, 08:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / When it comes to award-winning designs for vehicle wraps and art cars, it seems the Miami, Florida area has just one industry leader since 1988. Actually, they cater to more than just four-wheeled wonders, but that’s a story for another time....
Secretive Chevy Camaro ZL1 Drags S-10 and Mustang, Winner Almost Loses Control
23 Oct 2021, 07:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Everyone seems ready to lend a helping hand at trying to persuade GM to give its Camaro nameplate another chance. From virtual artists with crazy 6x6 imagination to owners who make the supercharged ZL1 seem like too much for a dragstrip. Argu...
Fancy Land Rover Defender Restomod Goes “OHMSS,” James Bond Would Be Proud
23 Oct 2021, 06:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Without giving away any spoilers, Jaguar Land Rover again played the part of a bad guy supplier for the latest action blockbuster from the James Bond franchise. But how about reversing the roles? In case one still hasn’t seen Daniel Cra...
Bold Formula Red 41k-Mile 1997 Acura NSX-T Will Gladly Show an Icon's Worth
22 Oct 2021, 12:57 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Since the current second-generation Acura NSX Type S is acting as the swan song not only for the hybrid version but potentially also for the entire series as an ICE representative, it’s time to collect. And if you say gas, then it’s the...
Reinvented Volvo V40 Can't Decide Between Estate or Gran Hatchback Identity
22 Oct 2021, 12:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Volvo’s 40 series has a rather convoluted history. And the potentially controversial ideas seem equally perplexed even when automotive virtual artists take over from OEM duties. The Swedish premium automaker envisioned the 40 series as ...
Dodge Viper Turns Sneaky SRT “Monster” Via Extreme Digital Widebody Makeover
22 Oct 2021, 10:56 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just because something is extinct doesn’t mean people can’t fancy alternate realities where it’s alive and well. Perhaps children dream of a world full of dinosaurs while adults might fancy the return of perished automotive specie...