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Cristian Gnaticov

Staff Writer
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Growing up in the communist regime, little Cristian knew the local cars, whose models you could count using the fingers on one hand, by their sound. Scale models were a luxury back then, so he turned to old magazines for glimpses of famous models sold in the West.

Shortly after the regime fell, he started school and got his first four-wheeled toys. Not long after, he experienced the "brute force" of an old Dacia (long before the current Renault era) far away from public roads - and he instantly knew that his life won't have any meaning for the next 10 years or so, when he could get his license and take on the roads on his own.

As years slowly passed, his father started teaching him the basic parking and turning maneuvers. And before he knew it, he turned 18 and got his prized license.

He spent the next few years going to car meets and the occasional drag race, as part of local clubs, and when he finished school and started earning his first money, he knew what he had to do: modify an old Dacia (his first true love) and go rallying.

So the arduous process began. Finding a good engine, transmission and suspension, upgrading the brakes and reinforcing the chassis. An old Renault 5 Alpine supplied the power unit, whereas the suspension and brakes came from a Dacia factory rally car.

Countless sleepless nights later, his baby was almost ready to hit the asphalt, gravel and other fun surfaces. Unfortunately, a string of events that included a garage fire, among others, killed his dream. So, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living, and the rest is history.

He worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
New Chevy Corvette Special Edition Models Are Forbidden Fruits in America
New Chevy Corvette Special Edition Models Are Forbidden Fruits in America

14 Mar 2024, 11:07 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / The C8 Chevrolet Corvette family has grown to include two new special editions. These are called the CERV I and the Heritage, and neither is available in North America. Limited to Japan solely, the new special edition versions of the latest-gen ...

 
Italian Muscle Car: Next Alfa Romeo Giulia Will Use the 2025 Dodge Charger's Platform
Italian Muscle Car: Next Alfa Romeo Giulia Will Use the 2025 Dodge Charger's Platform

14 Mar 2024, 10:28 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Alfa Romeos' rides have always been inspiring products that have attracted a large fanbase worldwide, and the Italian brand has done a wonderful job with its core lineup consisting of the Giulia and Stelvio duo. But as all good things must end...

 
This "Pro Max" Isn't an iPhone but the New Chery Tiggo 8 Compact Crossover
This "Pro Max" Isn't an iPhone but the New Chery Tiggo 8 Compact Crossover

14 Mar 2024, 09:54 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Chery is a name unfamiliar to most car shoppers in the West, but the Chinese company wants to become a key player in the automotive world. It has several new vehicles in its portfolio, including a new one that has just been unveiled: the Tiggo 8 Pr...

 
Australia's Nissan Qashqai Family Expands With Ti e-Power Hybrid Model
Australia's Nissan Qashqai Family Expands With Ti e-Power Hybrid Model

14 Mar 2024, 08:59 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Nissan has expanded the latest generation Qashqai family Down Under by introducing the new e-Power variant. Offered strictly on the range-topping Ti grade, this is a hybrid powertrain, albeit quite different from the usual offering. You see, ins...

 
Jeep Avenger Heading to Australia With EV Power From the Equivalent of $35,715
Jeep Avenger Heading to Australia With EV Power From the Equivalent of $35,715

14 Mar 2024, 08:15 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Jeep's Australian arm is readying the Avenger's introduction locally. The first copies will arrive at dealers in the year's fourth quarter, and the model will be offered in three trim levels with electric firepower. Kicking off th...

 
'89 Ford Bronco Is a California Truck With a Light Tan, Costs Less Than a New Escape
'89 Ford Bronco Is a California Truck With a Light Tan, Costs Less Than a New Escape

14 Mar 2024, 02:20 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Most classic rides are unreliable and not that comfortable compared to their modern counterparts, and no matter how much oomph they used to enjoy back in the day, they won't blow your mind – unless they're full-blown exotics. The...

 
Mansory Goes Mild on the Rolls-Royce Spectre, Teaser Suggests Wild Upgrades Are Coming
Mansory Goes Mild on the Rolls-Royce Spectre, Teaser Suggests Wild Upgrades Are Coming

14 Mar 2024, 01:08 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / It took Mansory around a year to get its hands on the Rolls-Royce Spectre, but the battery-electric luxury grand tourer is finally in their possession, and you know things are about to get wild, don't you? A shadowy teaser pic we found on t...

 
Check Out the Audi RS 5 Avant's Unofficial Design Before the Super Wagon Debuts
Check Out the Audi RS 5 Avant's Unofficial Design Before the Super Wagon Debuts

13 Mar 2024, 22:10 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / The all-new Audi RS 5 Avant promises to be one of the most aggressive-looking sports models in the premium compact segment. But what exactly is an RS 5 Avant? That would be the current RS 4 Avant's successor, as per the four-ring brand's ...

 
Rare 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition Hits the Used Car Market Boasting Numerous Mods
Rare 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition Hits the Used Car Market Boasting Numerous Mods

13 Mar 2024, 19:54 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / By any standards, the R35 generation Nissan GT-R is an old product. The model has been around since late 2007 when production started in Japan and has been constantly refined over the years. Rumor has it the company based in the Land of the Risi...

 
This Gorgeous Chevy El Camino Is a Brand-New 1959 Car Commanding New 'Vette Z06 Money
This Gorgeous Chevy El Camino Is a Brand-New 1959 Car Commanding New 'Vette Z06 Money

13 Mar 2024, 11:55 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Low-slung pickups, or utes as Aussies call them, haven't been a thing for a good while now, but one could land such a model at any given moment, suppose they're into them. But why would you not love them? After all, they mix two body styl...

 
New SEAT Arona FR Limited Edition Launched, It's Not the Priciest Member of the Family
New SEAT Arona FR Limited Edition Launched, It's Not the Priciest Member of the Family

13 Mar 2024, 10:31 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / At the end of February, SEAT introduced a new version of the Arona. The model is called the Arona FR Limited Edition, and while back then we did not know how much it costs, we now do, as the Spanish car manufacturer has opened the ordered books in ...

 
Abarth 695 75° Anniversario Launched Down Under, Costs the Equivalent of a New Mustang
Abarth 695 75° Anniversario Launched Down Under, Costs the Equivalent of a New Mustang

13 Mar 2024, 10:02 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / It is nearly impossible to keep track of Abarth's special editions based on the old internal combustion-powered supermini. Still, the Italian company has a new one in its portfolio: the 695 75° Anniversario. Unveiled last month, the new...

 
Ford Bronco Raptor Gets the Wheels and Tires It Deserves, Looks Like a Baja Racer
Ford Bronco Raptor Gets the Wheels and Tires It Deserves, Looks Like a Baja Racer

13 Mar 2024, 01:22 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Is there anything that hasn't been said about the Ford Bronco Raptor? Probably not, as this punchy off-roader has been around for over two years, and during this time, we've seen it in all sorts of tests. Be it the usual reviews that e...

 
Ford Flex RS Digitally Becomes Shorter and Feistier, Dreams About WRC Racing
Ford Flex RS Digitally Becomes Shorter and Feistier, Dreams About WRC Racing

12 Mar 2024, 22:52 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Ford may have dropped its traditional passenger cars in the United States, where its main focus is on crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, with the occasional electric recipe. However, its lineup still has one low-slung model: the new-gen Mustang. That...

 
Lamborghini Urus Is Down for Kitsch, Mansory Fulfils Its Dream
Lamborghini Urus Is Down for Kitsch, Mansory Fulfils Its Dream

12 Mar 2024, 19:22 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Can you remember how many copies of the Lamborghini Urus Mansory have maimed tuned over the years? Neither can we, and chances are the controversial tuner may not remember either. After all, we've been numerous such rides boasting kitschy l...

 
Matte Black Tesla Cybertruck Looks Like It Calls Gotham City Home
Matte Black Tesla Cybertruck Looks Like It Calls Gotham City Home

12 Mar 2024, 12:41 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Tesla took a long time to turn the 2019 Cybertruck Concept into a fully functional electric pickup, as deliveries commenced at the end of last year. Since then, everyone who matters has had something to say about it, taking one of the two sides: lo...

 
Despite Killing the Stinger, Kia Seems Committed to Sedans: Meet the New 2025 Forte (K4)
Despite Killing the Stinger, Kia Seems Committed to Sedans: Meet the New 2025 Forte (K4)

12 Mar 2024, 09:37 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Kia kicked off production of the third-generation Forte five years ago, and since it is considered an aging product in today's market, the Korean automaker has started developing its successor. We first laid eyes on the new generation Kia F...

 
2025 MINI Cooper Enters Production, First Copy Driven off the Line by Cooper's Grandson
2025 MINI Cooper Enters Production, First Copy Driven off the Line by Cooper's Grandson

12 Mar 2024, 09:03 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / It took MINI a little over a month from the unveiling of the new-gen 2025 Cooper to the assembly kickoff, but the model is finally in production. The first copy of the car was driven off the line by Charlie Cooper, John Cooper's (the legend wh...

 
UK's Cheapest EV Goes on Sale From the Equivalent of $19,240
UK's Cheapest EV Goes on Sale From the Equivalent of $19,240

12 Mar 2024, 08:27 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Subsequent to last month's unveiling, the facelifted Dacia Spring has officially gone on sale in the United Kingdom. The model is the cheapest EV offered locally and comes in two trim levels with as many powertrain options. Kicking off the ...

 
Would You Scratch That Classic Ford Bronco Itch With This 1977 International Scout II?
Would You Scratch That Classic Ford Bronco Itch With This 1977 International Scout II?

11 Mar 2024, 23:40 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Even though crossovers are now more popular than ever and hold a significant chunk of new car sales regardless of whether they are EVs or ICE models, 4x4s are still rare, and only a handful of models fall into this category. Things weren't ...

 

Stories by Cristian Gnaticov