autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,164  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.
Tuned 2021 Ford F-150 Drags Mustang GT500 and “Freight Train” Seems Unstoppable
Tuned 2021 Ford F-150 Drags Mustang GT500 and “Freight Train” Seems Unstoppable

14 Oct 2021, 06:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / When Hennessey released the updated 2021 Venom 775 upgrade pack for the latest and (arguably) greatest Ford F-150, its target was adamantly clear. With all the off-road goodies in place, no Ram TRX felt safe anymore. But, as it turns out, tha...

 
Numbers Matching 1972 Dodge Demon Shows Up Nimble and Sporty for 340CI Glory
Numbers Matching 1972 Dodge Demon Shows Up Nimble and Sporty for 340CI Glory

13 Oct 2021, 12:20 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Limited production, extreme, widebody, dragstrip-level performance. That would be the modern Demon in a nutshell if there’s Dodge branding attached to it. But half a century ago there was also a Dart twist to it. As always, old Dodges h...

 
Widebody 2023 Nissan Z Goes for Virtual Drift Makeover to Fulfill Wet JDM Dreams
Widebody 2023 Nissan Z Goes for Virtual Drift Makeover to Fulfill Wet JDM Dreams

13 Oct 2021, 11:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Hopefully, the current automotive industry shortages will become outdated by the time Nissan starts the first deliveries of its all-new 2023 Z generation. After all, there’s an entire aftermarket world waiting and holding its breath. Ch...

 
Reinvented Lancia Stratos Mesmerizes as Imagined Restomod From a Lambo Future
Reinvented Lancia Stratos Mesmerizes as Imagined Restomod From a Lambo Future

13 Oct 2021, 10:22 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Restomods are getting a lot of love these days. But has anyone dared to imagine what the niche will look like in the future? One virtual artist did it, using a legendary machine and iconic Italian cues. Today, if you have enough time, money, ...

 
Candy Purple 1968 Chevy C10 Drag Truck Spites Plum Crazy Fans Ahead of Real Build
Candy Purple 1968 Chevy C10 Drag Truck Spites Plum Crazy Fans Ahead of Real Build

13 Oct 2021, 09:39 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / General Motors produced the C/K series of trucks under the Chevrolet and GMC brands for more than four decades. Enough time for anyone to settle on a single Detroit automaker, presumably. Some love the Blue Oval F-Series above anything else. ...

 
Ultra-Rare Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Seeks a Digitally Unapologetic JDM Lifestyle
Ultra-Rare Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Seeks a Digitally Unapologetic JDM Lifestyle

13 Oct 2021, 08:43 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just like many other automotive trends, the JDM way of life has its quirky niches. So, it’s only natural for virtual artists to try and exploit them in the never-ending pursuit of CGI glory. Born way back in 1969, the legendary Nissan S...

 
Expensive, Benighted Toyota Land Cruiser J300 Becomes a Hilariously Small CGI SUV
Expensive, Benighted Toyota Land Cruiser J300 Becomes a Hilariously Small CGI SUV

13 Oct 2021, 08:01 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Showcased for the first time in June, the Toyota Land Cruiser J300 has been keeping the headlines ever since. For both right and wrong reasons. But the hype is real... and a clear and present virtual danger for turning up with odd twists. No ...

 
Sectioned, Dropped, Chopped 1950 Mercury Lead Sled Is Not an Average “Gangster Cruiser”
Sectioned, Dropped, Chopped 1950 Mercury Lead Sled Is Not an Average “Gangster Cruiser”

13 Oct 2021, 07:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Shawn Davis and his AutotopiaLA channel on YouTube do not regularly drift off into such particular custom directions. But when they do, one can always bet on a massive treat. Just take a moment to admire this 1950 Mercury that got turned over...

 
Nissan GT-R Grudge Races Challenger Hellcat and C6 Corvette, Someone Got Shamed
Nissan GT-R Grudge Races Challenger Hellcat and C6 Corvette, Someone Got Shamed

13 Oct 2021, 06:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although many appreciate the mighty quarter-mile events that gather around the best of the best every once in a while, nothing is pumping the adrenaline as much as close-quarters battles at an intimate venue, especially if we’re dealing with ...

 
Like-New 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme Seeks a Bit of Auction Madness in Its Life
Like-New 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme Seeks a Bit of Auction Madness in Its Life

12 Oct 2021, 13:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Five generations, a production run (with interruptions) between 1991 and 2017, as well as a cult following. That would be, in a nutshell, the Dodge Viper, if not for the special versions. The fifth-generation VX, for example, had a truly dive...

 
95-Year-Old WWII Vet Gets Front Line Honor on the 2022 Corvette “Battlefield”
95-Year-Old WWII Vet Gets Front Line Honor on the 2022 Corvette “Battlefield”

12 Oct 2021, 12:38 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / When it comes to “America’s sports car,” nobody is too young or too old to fall in love with it. And sometimes being a veteran of a dreadful, appalling war, has its 2022 Corvette perks. According to info shared by wnky.com N...

 
1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS Gets Subtly Redesigned, Becomes Worthy of NFL Player
1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS Gets Subtly Redesigned, Becomes Worthy of NFL Player

12 Oct 2021, 12:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Without a doubt, the Chevy Camaro RS is easily counted among the most successful, popular, and memorable pony/muscle cars that ever roared across the Earth’s surface. But the early 1990s were a bit underwhelming in terms of raw power. T...

 
Widebody “Liquid Metal” Toyota GR Supra Looks CGI Ready for Nissan Z Terminators
Widebody “Liquid Metal” Toyota GR Supra Looks CGI Ready for Nissan Z Terminators

12 Oct 2021, 11:24 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Anyone interested in the official JDM world knows there’s an “apocalyptic war” brewing on. The fifth-generation Toyota GR Supra is going to be challenged to an open battle by the upcoming 2023 Nissan Z. As far as we are conc...

 
Jeep Cherokee SJ Goes for Digital Trackhawk Treatment, Even Has Alternate Mod
Jeep Cherokee SJ Goes for Digital Trackhawk Treatment, Even Has Alternate Mod

12 Oct 2021, 11:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / In the world of restomods, as far as Chrysler (now Stellantis) fans are concerned, it probably doesn’t get any better than a 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat swap. And that’s valid both across the virtual plains and the reality tarmac. ...

 
2022 Subaru BRZ Notices C8 Success, Morphs Into Mid-Engine Boxer Wonder
2022 Subaru BRZ Notices C8 Success, Morphs Into Mid-Engine Boxer Wonder

12 Oct 2021, 09:46 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Everyone loves a great sports car, even though right now the automotive world is deeply enamored with all things crossover, SUV, and truck-based. So, why not go for the ultimate driver’s configuration? Some high-performance automakers ...

 
LS Tesla Roadster Hotrod Adds Digital GM Small Block for Ridiculous Hybrid Look
LS Tesla Roadster Hotrod Adds Digital GM Small Block for Ridiculous Hybrid Look

12 Oct 2021, 09:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Sometimes, certain automotive creations are so outrageous it’s impossible not to love to hate them. Otherwise, there really isn’t any enthusiast segment that won’t feel offended by such crazy projects. Tesla’s Roadster...

 
Revived Jeep Comanche Fights Maverick With CGI Unibody, Has Grand Cherokee DNA
Revived Jeep Comanche Fights Maverick With CGI Unibody, Has Grand Cherokee DNA

12 Oct 2021, 08:12 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Let’s face it, bite-sized trucks are all the rage today, especially for pickup fans dwelling across the American continent. Both down South and in the North, as it turns out. Hyundai is already thriving and selling loads of 2022 Santa C...

 
Custom Grey Pearl 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville Has Comfy Charger Seats and Hi-Riser 28s
Custom Grey Pearl 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville Has Comfy Charger Seats and Hi-Riser 28s

12 Oct 2021, 07:23 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Everyone laying eyes on this final model year Pontiac Grand Ville might be tempted to call it a “donk.” But just to appease the purists, who traditionally only have eyes for the fifth generation Chevy Impala, let’s just settle on ...

 
Hulking Audi SQ7 Drags Ford Mustang GT, Shows Why the World Is Mad About SUVs
Hulking Audi SQ7 Drags Ford Mustang GT, Shows Why the World Is Mad About SUVs

12 Oct 2021, 06:26 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Because everything revolves around crossovers, SUVs, and trucks these days, even the derogatory “soccer mom” jokes have moved into the 4x4 field. But some people know exactly how to show they don’t care. If one asked any dra...

 
Two-Owner 1973 Chevy Corvette Was Respectfully Upgraded to a 454CI V8 Life
Two-Owner 1973 Chevy Corvette Was Respectfully Upgraded to a 454CI V8 Life

11 Oct 2021, 14:48 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It’s not hard to fall in love with “America’s sports car” when every Chevy Corvette generation has something cool to offer. Sometimes, if the factory perks are not enough, one can also go down the aftermarket route. Wi...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu