Aurel Niculescu
9,339 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.
Only 1,000 C.8R-Inspired 2022 Corvettes Will Be Available From Late Summer
10 Jun 2021, 07:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We all know that multiple production issues have plagued the current generation’s manufacturing run. Still, this time around, it’s Chevrolet that decided to cap the build on the latest special edition Corvette. As such, the 2022 Stingra...
1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG Estate Aims to Mesmerize With Practical Sportiness
9 Jun 2021, 15:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Back in the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz crossed an important compact executive milestone as it revealed the first C-Class generation (W202). It was thoroughly developed to make sure it would successfully replace the ubiquitous 190 series (W201) of the pre...
Lifted Ford F-250 Rides on Unique 26-In Forgiatos Worthy of Super Bowl Champion
9 Jun 2021, 14:57 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Some people just like white cars. After all, the color has been one of the most popular for years among buyers. And, to make sure it will stand out in any crowd, some also throw in a crimson touch... Or a bunch of them, along with an 8-inch lift ki...
Sleeper Chevy Malibu Smokes Them All at the Strip, Save for Unassuming Fox Body
9 Jun 2021, 13:55 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While the Summit Midwest Drags event (May 31st to June 4th) is already over, there was so much action at this densely packed “Drag-N-Drive” competition that we’re probably going to witness the exploits of some of the most interest...
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Offers Up to 6,000 Lbs Towing Capacity, Starts at $33,410
9 Jun 2021, 12:20 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Back in February, the Japanese automaker pulled the wraps off the fifth-generation Pathfinder, a glory nameplate for the company. It came out with all sorts of goodies, such as the crucial switch from a CVT gearbox to a regular nine-speed automatic...
Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Gets Solarbeam Yellow Swap and a Bonkers Interior
9 Jun 2021, 11:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Apparently, the 2011 to 2015 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupé Black Series was never offered to the public in the stunning Solarbeam Yellow paint job the automaker used at the press launch. And it seems the (in)famous shade has remained a darling...
CGI Ford Maverick Takes Turns Becoming Bronco Sport, F-150, Lightning and Raptor
9 Jun 2021, 11:10 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Heralded by the Blue Oval as a market disruptor and the next best thing for the small truck segment, the 2022 Maverick has managed to officially arrive ahead of Tom Cruise’s second impersonation of the Top Gun test pilot and flight instructor...
Mercedes-AMG Appears to Use Pride Month to Celebrate Diversity of Its Own Range
9 Jun 2021, 09:59 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It’s June, a month that has a special meaning for the LGBTQ+ community in reference to the impact of the June 1969 Stonewall riots. It’s not only endorsed by President Joe Biden, who followed in the footsteps of his predecessors Bill Cl...
Philadelphia Charity Drive Turns Into Ferrari Carnage For 458, 488 and 488 Pista
9 Jun 2021, 09:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It’s never a great moment to witness an accident involving beautiful, exotic supercars. And, given their power, it’s a rather natural occurrence when people forget the street is not a racetrack. But it’s even sadder when such cras...
Refreshed 2022 BMW X3 and X4 Starting Production Late Summer, MSRPs From $43,700
9 Jun 2021, 08:17 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ever since the world has been taken by storm by crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, BMW has made it big with its ever expanding line of Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV). But keeping up with the trends requires constant work, so it’s only natural...
Second-Generation 2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe Revealed, Prices Start at $44,800
9 Jun 2021, 07:19 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Sedans might be out of fashion these days when everything is about crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, but there’s no denying that some companies aren’t letting the segment go down without a fight. Case in point, BMW hasn’t dropped the ...
2022 Ford Maverick Gets Dissected via Salvo of First Look and Walkaround Videos
8 Jun 2021, 14:39 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Exactly as promised, on June 8th, 2021, the Blue Oval company has revealed its first-ever attempt to break into the bank vault of the small truck segment (in the U.S., that is). Its 2022 Maverick aims to become a true market disruptor, sporting a l...
2007 Mercedes-Benz R 63 AMG Might Help Reach Practice Early, Every Single Time
8 Jun 2021, 14:05 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Let’s face it, minivans—those family haulers that had to cope with all kinds of soccer mom jokes—are now a dying breed. Some companies are trying to reinvent them for the new age (Hyundai’s Staria is a cool attempt, for exam...
2022 Nissan Rogue Sport Warnings Might Sound a Lot Better Thanks to Bandai Namco
8 Jun 2021, 13:10 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Bandai Namco Entertainment is one the largest (third, behind Sony and Nintendo but ahead of Sega) and most renowned gaming companies in Japan. It has created globally adored titles such as Pac-Man, Tekken, or Ace Combat, among many others. But they...
One-of-One Khaki Green 2021 Charger Hellcat Hides a Very Bright Surprise Inside
8 Jun 2021, 12:17 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Dodge’s seventh-generation Charger has been around for so long that it’s rather hard to stand out in a crowd, even though the U.S. automaker has made sure to create as many versions as possible to satisfy all tastes. So, it’s up t...
Bagged Huracan EVO Digitally Shows Up to Mesmerize Us With Its Liberty Walk Kit
8 Jun 2021, 11:39 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Over the years, we have seen many virtual artists working hard to make sure their digital creations are almost indistinguishable from real life. As such, sometimes you really need a written confirmation that you’re indeed witnessing the birth...
Turbo Big Block Oldsmobile Cutlass Drags Blown Chevy Camaro SS for Surprise Loss
8 Jun 2021, 10:18 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Over the past few days, we’ve been mesmerized by the exciting quarter-mile action that took place during the densely packed Summit Midwest Drags event. All sorts of competitors gathered for an explosive string of drag races spread over four d...
1,578-HP Bugatti Chiron Super Sport Goes Official With a Long Tail, Hits 273 MPH
8 Jun 2021, 09:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Teased just a few hours before its official introduction, Bugatti’s “new hyper sports car” is—just as we presumed—a new version of the ubiquitous Chiron. We were also spot on assuming that we would have something tied ...
620-PS AMG C63 “Safety Car” Goes Flat Out on Autobahn, Roars Its Way to 193 MPH
8 Jun 2021, 08:30 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Extracting precisely 510 ps / 503 horsepower from the renowned 4.0-liter turbocharged V8, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S is clearly no slouch, even though in certain conditions, a specific foe might have the upper hand. But when it comes to Autobahn rides,...
All-New 2023 Kia Sportage Officially Previewed With Bold Styling, X-Line Trim
8 Jun 2021, 07:15 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With the NX4 fourth-generation Hyundai Tucson already out and about looking modern and quirky, it was only logical for the Kia Sportage group sibling to prepare for its own arrival. Now it’s time to have a first official look at the goodies, ...