Florina Spînu
1,561 ARTICLES
Her first real car, a Volkswagen Golf, went through a lot but never wavered, not even when moving furniture and pets across the country. Graduating with a double major in English and Chinese ignited a passion for writing which, combined with the one for cars, lead her to become a contributor on autoevolution, where she expanded her interests to new kinds of machines.
When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
Single-Engine Beechcraft Denali Gears Up for Maiden Flight, Passes Key Engine Runs
27 Aug 2021, 13:32 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Textron Aviation announced that it successfully completed initial ground engine runs on the prototype Beechcraft Denali, moving the single-engine turboprop one step closer to its maiden flight, which is expected to take place by the end of the year...
When the Lights Go Out, This Apollo 15 Watch Shows You Asteroid Impacts on the Moon
27 Aug 2021, 12:20 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / It was in 1971 when the Apollo 15 astronauts Dave Scott and Jim Irwin were exploring the Moon in a Lunar Roving Vehicle. They traveled 17.5 miles (28 km) in the first car that humans have ever driven on our natural satellite, documenting how the lu...
1970 Pontiac Trans Am Custom Car Gets Immortalized as a Hot Wheels Toy
27 Aug 2021, 03:03 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Mattel's Hot Wheels revealed on Thursday, August 26th, the 1:64-scale die-cast of the 1970 Pontiac Trans Am built by Riley Stair, the winner of the 2020 Hot Wheels Legends Tour. The Hot Wheels Legends Tour scours the country each year for t...
U.S. Navy Completes Ground Test of Second Stage Motor for Hypersonic Weapon
27 Aug 2021, 00:44 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / On August 25th, the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Program has successfully conducted a test of the Second Stage Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) in Promontory, Utah. The ground test marks a step toward the development of the common hypersonic missile ...
Galactica Super Nova Is a 230-Foot Superyacht Beast, Tears Up the Waves at 30 Knots
26 Aug 2021, 15:42 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Over the years, Heesen Yachts has blessed us with superyacht designs that are not only a spectacular sight but also capture the machines' outstanding performance. And Galactica Super Nova is a case in point. With an advanced drivetrain that pr...
ELSA-d Satellite Has a Magnetic Appetite for Space Junk, Aces Its First Capture in Orbit
26 Aug 2021, 02:47 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Astroscale's ELSA-d orbital debris removal satellite has tested for the first time its ability to capture a spacecraft in space. In a demo performed on Wednesday, August 25th, ELSA-d successfully used the company's magnetic capture system...
Toyota Will Make Fuel Cell Modules for Hydrogen-Powered Heavy Duty Trucks
26 Aug 2021, 00:03 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Toyota is preparing to expand its portfolio approach to products by taking its groundbreaking hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric tech from prototypes to production at its Kentucky plant. After years of real-world testing in the environment of c...
Boeing's Most Advanced F-15 Strike Eagle Jets Gear Up to Fly Over the Skies of Qatar
25 Aug 2021, 21:04 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / On August 25th, Boeing, together with the U.S. Air Force and Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF), celebrated the naming and rollout of the F-15 Qatar Advanced jets, known as the F-15QA, at its St. Louis facility. Following completion of the pre-delivery p...
San Francisco Residents Can Now Hail an Autonomous Ride With Waymo Robotaxi
25 Aug 2021, 03:58 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving vehicle subsidiary, has launched a robotaxi service that selected riders can test. The program, called Trusted Testers, will invite residents of San Francisco to hail an autonomous ride in one of Waymo's ele...
Ouch! Watch the U.S. Navy Break a Ship in Half With Torpedoes
25 Aug 2021, 01:57 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / During the recent Large Scale Exercise 21 (LSE 21), the U.S. joint forces conducted coordinated multi-domain, multi-platform, long-range maritime strikes on a retired frigate off the coast of Hawaii. A video released by the U.S. Navy shows the ship...
Mitsubishi Returns to Rebelle Rally With 2022 Outlander Dressed in a Special Livery
24 Aug 2021, 23:45 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Mitsubishi announced its return to the 2021 Rebelle Rally, unveiling renderings of the vehicle that will compete this October in the all-women off-road navigation rally raid. The paint scheme on the 2022 Outlander pays homage to a historical Dakar ...
2022 Ram ProMaster Rolls Out With Fresh Tech, EV Sibling to Debut in 2023
24 Aug 2021, 21:52 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Known as the Fiat Ducato in Europe, the 2022 Ram ProMaster has just rolled off the assembly line with some new upgrades that include a nine-speed automatic transmission, more safety features, and an improved infotainment system. The new 2022 Ram...
Penguin C VTOL Has a Special Trick Up Its Sleeve That Makes It Stay Up for Over 14 Hours
24 Aug 2021, 14:20 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / We’ve seen plenty of new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft in the past that sport all sorts of new technologies to help them in flight. From contraptions that feature no wings to drones with massive propellers, there are many optio...
Ispace Shows Its New Tough Lunar Lander, Plans to Put It on the Moon in 2024
24 Aug 2021, 01:43 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Japanese startup ispace has unveiled the Series 2, a next-generation lunar lander, which the company plans to first use for its third lunar mission targeted for 2024. The model is not only larger than ispace's first-generation lander model but...
Can You Spot the Tiny Alien Moon Hovering Above NASA's Perseverance Rover?
24 Aug 2021, 00:00 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Since it landed on Mars on February 18th, NASA's Perseverance rover has blessed us with dozens of images taken of the red dusty alien soil. While most of the time, the rover is busy hunting for rocks that may hold traces of ancient microbial ...
Terminator Tape Draws Satellites Back to Earth Faster to Their Fiery Doom
23 Aug 2021, 21:52 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing company, has successfully demonstrated the ability to safely and quickly de-orbit a satellite by using its Terminator Tape Deorbit Module, a lightweight solution for end-of-mission disposal of satellites that help...
Hyundai to Show Off Cool AI-Powered Concept Car, Uses 360-Degree Windows as a Huge Display
23 Aug 2021, 15:34 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Hyundai Mobis, the South Korean automakers' "parts and service" arm, has announced that it will bring an AI-powered, fully autonomous vehicle to the 2021 Munich Auto Show (IAA Munich), which kicks off in early September. Hyundai n...
1929 Harley-Davidson Model J With Sidecar Is One Fine Piece of Harley History
22 Aug 2021, 20:57 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / Originally produced for the military, the Harley-Davidson Model J reshaped the motorcycle world when it was first introduced back in 1915. It was a major breakthrough for the bike maker in terms of engineering and design. Unlike its earlier models,...
Oasi 540 Camper Proves That Less Is More, Offers Luxury RV Travel in a Tiny Package
21 Aug 2021, 22:49 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / If you're looking to have a flexible vacation, RV travel is your best bet. Compact RV options have recently gained quite a lot of popularity, and, really, what's not to love about a tiny, cozy home on wheels? The freedom of driving and th...
From a 1966 Miura to the Murcielago, Here Are Some Lamborghini Legends That Time Forgot
21 Aug 2021, 06:16 UTC · By: Florina Spînu / The history of Automobili Lamborghini started in 1963 when it opened its doors in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Since then, from the lowest production road car to the first Super SUV, there have been many turning points and breakthroughs that have mad...