autoevolution
 

Dan Mihalascu

302  ARTICLES

Personal motto:

"When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting." (Steve McQueen's character from the Le Mans movie, 1971)

editor photo
Fascinated by automobiles since he could barely walk, Dan quickly started dismantling toy cars only to reassemble them (eventually), much to his mother’s despair. After learning how to read, he began collecting piles of car magazines, again driving his mom mad.

Finally, something good came out of his passion as he decided to turn it into a career. Since he was better at writing than changing spark plugs, he chose to study journalism instead of becoming a mechanic - thank God for that! And while most of his college colleagues fantasized about winning the Pulitzer prize, all he wanted was to drive cars and write about them. He started doing that right after graduation when he landed his first job as a car magazine writer.

When his mom thought he finally got settled, Dan started racing and entered his first hill climb event at 26 in a Peugeot 205 GTi. The debut went pretty good but the second race ended with a totaled car. Of course, he blamed that on the poor choice of tires in the wet. Being too fired up and inexperienced to keep a cool head on a damp course never crossed his mind as actually being the problem. While the racing bug never really went out of his system, Dan ended his racing career after two seasons amid financial difficulties and his family’s persistence that motorsport was not worth the risk of dying. Tragically, two of his colleagues lost their lives in crashes during that period.

He never really stopped writing, though. After a long hiatus that saw him work as a writer and editor for several international car news websites, Dan has returned to autoevolution, the place that kick-started his writing career for a global audience more than a decade ago. He has taken up a new role as a coordinating editor, and his obsessive attention to detail and quest for factual accuracy should serve him well in his daily tasks. Unless he spends too much time to find the perfect choice of words, that is.
Updated Carminat TomTom Standard on Several UK Renault Versions
Updated Carminat TomTom Standard on Several UK Renault Versions

15 Apr 2010, 12:58 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Renault's affordable fully integrated satellite navigation system, the Carminat TomTom, is being included as standard on Dynamique, Dynamique S, Privilege and Initiale trim levels of the Clio, Kangoo, Megane, Scenic and Laguna ranges. The s...

 
EMC to Launch Three Dacia-Based EVs This June in the U.S.
EMC to Launch Three Dacia-Based EVs This June in the U.S.

15 Apr 2010, 10:46 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Envision Motor Company (EMC) plans to start selling a complete Dacia-based range of all-electric vehicles this June at a number of dealerships around the country. EMC's three EVs are a seven-passenger wagon, an utility van and a small pickup t...

 
Mazda Recalls 90,000 Vehicles in China and Japan
Mazda Recalls 90,000 Vehicles in China and Japan

15 Apr 2010, 09:12 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Mazda is recalling some 90,000 cars sold in China and Japan because of a possible oil leakage problem. The recall concerns the compact Mazda3 model, of which 54,000 units are to be recalled in China and 35,181 in Japan, where the same car is named ...

 
Toyota to Test All Its SUVs for Potential Safety Issues
Toyota to Test All Its SUVs for Potential Safety Issues

15 Apr 2010, 07:55 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Toyota has announced that it will conduct safety tests on all its SUVs after Consumer Reports magazine warned that the Lexus GX 460 luxury SUV is prone to rollover. Toyota said on Thursday it had not yet decided to recall the GX 460, but it tempora...

 
Porsche Cayenne Orders Exceed CEO Expectations
Porsche Cayenne Orders Exceed CEO Expectations

15 Apr 2010, 07:10 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The second-generation Porsche Cayenne SUV has attracted orders that beat the company’s estimates, according to CEO Michael Macht. “We’re looking at an incredibly high order intake from almost all markets. Orders are clearly exceed...

 
North Korea Buys Chinese "People's Cars"
North Korea Buys Chinese "People's Cars"

15 Apr 2010, 06:33 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Around 100 Chinese-made cars were brought into North Korea from China on Tuesday, supposedly destined for Kim Jong Il’s favored officials, reported Chosun Ilbo, a Seoul daily newspaper. The gifts are to be offered on Thursday with the oc...

 
Indy 500 Spices Up Qualifying Format
Indy 500 Spices Up Qualifying Format

14 Apr 2010, 14:49 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The 2010 Indianapolis 500 race will have a different qualifying format, following the announcement that qualifying will be compressed from a two-weekend event to a single weekend this year. The big change is the introduction of a nine-driver pol...

 
The Seven Worst-Built Cars on U.S. Roads are American
The Seven Worst-Built Cars on U.S. Roads are American

14 Apr 2010, 13:50 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Forbes.com's list of worst-made cars on American roads today is dominated by local manufacturers. Four of the seven vehicles on the website’s list come from GM brands, the three remaining cars being also made by American companies. Only ...

 
Audi Opens Customer Sport Center in Ingolstadt
Audi Opens Customer Sport Center in Ingolstadt

14 Apr 2010, 12:47 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Launched in 2008, the Audi customer sport program has entered a new phase with the inauguration of a dedicated center next to Audi Sport. The new customer sport center in Ingolstadt will coordinate the GT3 sports car season’s highlight event ...

 
Fiat Orders in Italy Drop 40 Percent in Q1
Fiat Orders in Italy Drop 40 Percent in Q1

14 Apr 2010, 12:23 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Fiat announced a steep decline in orders on the Italian market in the first three months of this year. To be more precise, the company recorded a 40 percent drop in orders after the government incentives program ended. What's worse, the manage...

 
BMW 550i GT Wins Interior Design Award
BMW 550i GT Wins Interior Design Award

14 Apr 2010, 10:46 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Ward's Auto Interior of the Year Awards, North America's only honors for excellence in automotive interiors, have been announced for 2010. The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo has won the Design Versatility category, being appreciated first and ...

 
BMW Museum Offers Unforgettable Rides in Classic Convertibles
BMW Museum Offers Unforgettable Rides in Classic Convertibles

14 Apr 2010, 09:43 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The BMW Museum in Munich has come up with a surprise for the new classic season. Starting April 1, visitors to the museum can book a three-hour tour that includes the BMW facilities as well as the city’s most important sights. But more import...

 
Acura Recalls 1,850 ZDX Models for Airbag Issues
Acura Recalls 1,850 ZDX Models for Airbag Issues

14 Apr 2010, 08:19 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Acura announced on Tuesday that it is recalling approximately 1,850 vehicles of its freshly launched 2010 ZDX crossover, the cause being a potential airbag problem. The recall is prompted by a dashboard material that was cut wrong, thus causing the...

 
Lexus Freezes Sales of Its GX 460 SUV after Consumer Reports' Warning
Lexus Freezes Sales of Its GX 460 SUV after Consumer Reports' Warning

14 Apr 2010, 07:07 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / After Consumer Reports magazine announced it had found problems with the Lexus GX 460 during a handling test, discovering that the car is prone to rollover, Toyota reacted fast. It immediately issued a press release saying that it will investigate ...

 
Asian Premiere of the MINI Countryman at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show
Asian Premiere of the MINI Countryman at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show

13 Apr 2010, 14:50 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The Auto China Beijing 2010, scheduled from April 25 to May 2, will host the Asian premiere of the MINI Countryman, the brand’s first four-door vehicle, as well as the continental premiere of the MINI Coupe Concept and the MINI Roadster Conce...

 
2WD VW Touareg in the U.S.? Yes, if the Market Wants It
2WD VW Touareg in the U.S.? Yes, if the Market Wants It

13 Apr 2010, 13:42 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / No matter how strange it may seem to the Europeans, many SUVs sold in the U.S. are rear-wheel drive. Manufacturers often offer their SUVs with 2WD platforms as well. That’s why the second-generation Volkswagen Touareg might have a two-wheel d...

 
Consumer Reports Says Lexus GX 460 SUV Not Safe
Consumer Reports Says Lexus GX 460 SUV Not Safe

13 Apr 2010, 12:39 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Another day, another problem for Toyota Motor Corporation. Consumer Reports magazine wrote that the 2010 Lexus GX 460 may be unsafe and advises buyers not to choose this model. Engineers from the magazine reportedly experienced problems in emergenc...

 
Brazil Could Overtake Germany for World’s 4th Largest Car Market
Brazil Could Overtake Germany for World’s 4th Largest Car Market

13 Apr 2010, 10:47 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / This year Brazil could turn into the world’s fourth-largest auto market after cars have become more affordable for customers in this country. Local banks cut interest rates and eased loan terms, making purchases available for more car seekers...

 
Fiat Chairman Says Next European Car Alliance May Involve PSA
Fiat Chairman Says Next European Car Alliance May Involve PSA

13 Apr 2010, 09:30 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne believes that the next European car alliance will involve the French group PSA Peugeot Citroen, the largest manufacturer of its country. "The next merger will probably be French. They tried with Mitsubis...

 
Peugeot-Citroen's 3-Cylinder Engines Will Start Production in 2012
Peugeot-Citroen's 3-Cylinder Engines Will Start Production in 2012

13 Apr 2010, 08:26 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Following an investment of EUR175 million in the the company's northern France engine plant, PSA Peugeot Citroen will start producing a small 3-cylinder engine for models like the Peugeot 207 and Citroen C3. Between now and 2013, the plant loc...

 

Stories by Dan Mihalascu