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.
This Month Marks SEAT's 60th Birthday
This Month Marks SEAT's 60th Birthday

3 May 2010, 13:11 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / On May 9 2010, Spanish automaker SEAT will celebrate its 60th birthday. Founded in 1950, the “Sociedad Espanola de Automoviles de Turismo” has a rich and eventful history. Since 1953, SEAT has produced more than 16 million vehicles, ...

 
MTM Unleashes 720 HP from the Audi RS6
MTM Unleashes 720 HP from the Audi RS6

3 May 2010, 11:58 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Even though German tuner MTM works on Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Lamborghini, KTM, Spyker and Porsche, it has a soft spot for Audi. The founder of MTM was actually an engineer on the team developing Audi Quattro’s famous five-cylin...

 
Spyshots: 2011 Porsche Boxster on the Nurburgring
Spyshots: 2011 Porsche Boxster on the Nurburgring

3 May 2010, 10:15 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The all-new Porsche Boxster has been spotted laying rubber on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Porsche’s entry level roadster is being thoroughly honed by test drivers on Europe’s most challenging circuit. The car will have its world premi...

 
Chevrolet Orlando Not Coming to the U.S.
Chevrolet Orlando Not Coming to the U.S.

3 May 2010, 09:19 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / GM has announced it dropped plans to sell the Chevrolet Orlando crossover in the U.S. and said it would concentrate on existing models at its biggest division, according to the Automotive News. Dealers were announced about the decision on Friday...

 
VW to Stop New Beetle's Production
VW to Stop New Beetle's Production

3 May 2010, 08:48 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Volkswagen has confirmed that it would halt production of the New Beetle range, with the German automaker expected to showcase the next-generation at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November. The company has announced potential customers to hurry ...

 
Audi Reveals Lighter, Faster R8
Audi Reveals Lighter, Faster R8

3 May 2010, 08:03 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Audi revealed a street-legal, track-oriented version of its R8 supercar, similar in concept to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Dubbed R8 GT, the car will get a tuned version of the V10 engine found in the current R8 range-topper, a stiffer chassis, rev...

 
Reinventing the Wheel: a Guide to Michelin’s Airless Tire
Reinventing the Wheel: a Guide to Michelin’s Airless Tire

1 May 2010, 06:57 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Ever since John Boyd Dunlop patented the pneumatic tire, in 1888, the evolution of this vital item for the auto industry and for many other industries has seen many improvements, but none such revolutionary as Dunlop’s. That's until ...

 
The Aston Martin One-77 Takes to the Streets of London
The Aston Martin One-77 Takes to the Streets of London

30 Apr 2010, 10:38 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The Aston Martin One-77 is making its first public appearance in the United Kingdom today, taking part in a supercar run from London to Silverstone, Autocar reveals. With a price tag of just over GBP1.2 million and built in a limited edition of 77 ...

 
Toyota Corolla Sedan Receives Mild Facelift
Toyota Corolla Sedan Receives Mild Facelift

30 Apr 2010, 09:07 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The Toyota Corolla, sold in Europe exclusively in sedan form, has received a mid-life restyling for 2010, with refreshed exterior and interior design. On the outside, the facelifted Corolla gets a new face, with a redesigned bumper, upper and lower...

 
Lexus Resumes Sales of the GX 460 after Announcing Fix
Lexus Resumes Sales of the GX 460 after Announcing Fix

30 Apr 2010, 07:52 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Lexus has announced a solution to the faulty stability control system which resulted in the recall of the GX 460 luxury SUV. Toyota’s luxury division has issued a press release in which it states that the fix is available effective immediatel...

 
Volkswagen Presents New 3-Cylinder Diesel Engine
Volkswagen Presents New 3-Cylinder Diesel Engine

30 Apr 2010, 07:10 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Volkswagen has chosen the 31st International Vienna Motor Symposium to unveil its latest TDI engine, the 1.2-liter three-cylinder unit. The presentation of this engine was held in front of an international audience of engineers, with Volkswagen foc...

 
Ad Campaign Shows the "Human Face" of Toyota
Ad Campaign Shows the "Human Face" of Toyota

29 Apr 2010, 14:37 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Toyota Motor Europe has launched a 20 million euro ($26.3 million) TV, print and online media campaign featuring employees talking about their commitment to quality and safety. The action will cover major European countries and has the purpose of r...

 
Tesla to Announce the Location of Its West Coast Plant
Tesla to Announce the Location of Its West Coast Plant

29 Apr 2010, 13:47 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Tesla Motors will announce in the next several weeks the exact location of the plant to produce its electric vehicles, CEO Elon Musk told Automotive News yesterday. Tesla's first mass production plant will be located on the West Coast and will...

 
World Premiere of the All-New Hyundai Elantra/Avante
World Premiere of the All-New Hyundai Elantra/Avante

29 Apr 2010, 12:50 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Hyundai has unveiled the 2011 Elantra (known as the Avante in South Korea) at the Busan Motor Show in its home country. This is the fifth generation of the popular compact car, Hyundai’s best-selling model worldwide, with over 6 million units...

 
Spyker to Enter the Chinese Car Market
Spyker to Enter the Chinese Car Market

29 Apr 2010, 10:29 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Spyker Cars announced that it plans to enter the the booming Chinese luxury auto market. The Dutch sportscar maker has taken the first steps to make an entrance into the world’s largest car market by signing an agreement with China Automobile...

 
BMW Opens $30 Million Dealership in Minneapolis
BMW Opens $30 Million Dealership in Minneapolis

29 Apr 2010, 09:31 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / BMW invested $30 million in a new, state-of-the-art dealership located just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The investment adds to the $2 billion spent by the BMW dealer network in the USA over the last ten years. The 223,000 square foot mult...

 
Volvo Recalls 2,500 XC90 SUVs for Potential Fire Risk
Volvo Recalls 2,500 XC90 SUVs for Potential Fire Risk

29 Apr 2010, 08:33 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Volvo USA has recalled almost 2,500 XC90 SUV due to a faulty fuel line that could lead to a fire in the right front wheel housing, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). The problem affects only the entry-level 3....

 
500 HP Upgrade for the BMW 135i Coupe
500 HP Upgrade for the BMW 135i Coupe

29 Apr 2010, 07:55 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / The BMW 135i is the most powerful of the 1 Series range, with 306 horsepower squeezed out of a 3.0-liter biturbo straight-six cylinder engine. It’s as close as you can get to an M-model, at least until the 1M/M1 version hits the streets. B...

 
BMW Overtakes Toyota as World's No. 1 Car Brand
BMW Overtakes Toyota as World's No. 1 Car Brand

28 Apr 2010, 14:57 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / BMW has overtaken Toyota in the annual ranking of the world’s top brands, BrandZ Top 100 - a survey compiled by the market research company Millward Brown. BMW has thus become the world’s most valuable auto brand, as the Japanese automa...

 
Honda Recorded 28 Percent Higher Sales in Q1 2010
Honda Recorded 28 Percent Higher Sales in Q1 2010

28 Apr 2010, 14:15 UTC · By: Dan Mihalascu / Honda posted a $774 million profit for the first three months of the year, managing to overcome the difficult period of last year, when the company recorded losses. Increasing demand from China and India, combined with a recovery in U.S. sales cont...

 

Stories by Dan Mihalascu