Mircea Panait
Interning for Top Gear was his first foray in automotive journalism, and not long after that, a full-time position was opened for Mircea to seal the deal. Just about three years later, autoevolution became his new home.
Especially interested in American ponies and muscle cars, Mircea also finds the Japanese domestic market appealing thanks to the quirkiness of kei cars. Full-size pickups like the Ram 1500 and off-roaders such as the Ford Ranger Raptor and Jeep Gladiator Rubicon are much to his liking as well.
A self-described master of pasta and an avid CCG player, Mircea’s past-time activities include playing his Epiphone Les Paul Special Vintage Edition electric guitar, discovering the wonders of the Carpathian mountains by foot, and driving to the Black Sea to get a well-deserved tan.
2024 Honda Accord Rendered With Civic-Inspired Styling Cues
Four-door sedans are going the way of the dodo for quite a few years now, but some brands aren’t willing to discontinue them for crossovers. The Honda Accord, for example, will soldier on for another generation. Recently spied with tons of...
2024 Infiniti QX80 Confirmed to Spearhead the Automaker’s Makeover
Introduced into production in 2004, the QX56 was named as such after the 5.6-liter V8 hiding under the hood. Twinned with the Nissan Armada, which is alternately known as the Patrol in other markets, the QX56 was redesigned in 2010 for the 2011 mod...
This Mystery Ford SUV Prototype Is Australia's 2023 Ford Everest
Imagine minding your own business behind the wheel of your car, and you suddenly drive past a handful of prototypes consisting of three Ford Rangers and a Ranger-styled utility vehicle. The Fast Lane’s Roman Mica did exactly that, and he&rsqu...
Tesla Model Y Tops American-Made Index, Tesla Model 3 Ranks Second
95 vehicles were ranked by Cars.com through five criteria, starting with assembly location. Parts content, engine and tranny origins, and the U.S. workforce matter a lot as well, which is why Tesla leads the ranking. Previously ranked third, the...
Infiniti QX55 Enters 2023 Model Year With Higher Price Tag
Initially priced from $46,500 minus the destination freight charge, Infiniti’s coupe-styled crossover is entering the 2023 model year at $49,150 for the most basic of specifications. The question is, what changed for the better? Well, the ...
Driven by Carroll Shelby and Juan Manuel Fangio, This Ferrari 410 S Is the Stuff of Dreams
One of the most prestigious racing cars from Ferrari’s long and illustrious history, the 410 S is a blue-chip collectible. Only four units were produced, all of them bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. An evolution of the 375 Plus, the sports p...
2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Track Editions Teased, Three Variants Incoming
A corner-carving compact sedan, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Track Edition will be launched for the 2023 model year in three variants, inspired by three prestigious racing circuits. In no particular order, these tracks are Watkins Glen Internationa...
Ford Recalls F-150 Lightning Over Software Issue
Although it’s a brand-new truck, a long-awaited truck for that matter, the Ford F-150 Lightning has been recalled over a problem that most likely stems from hurrying the F-150 Lightning to market. As it happens, the pickup’s tire pressu...
Toyota Supra 3.0 Drag Races Chevrolet Camaro LT1, Absolute Humiliation Follows
The current-gen Supra is often criticized for being too much of a BMW and too little of a successor for the Supra that we all know and love. On the other hand, Toyota couldn’t have chosen a better technical partner than BMW. From the CLAR-...
G99 BMW M5 Touring Reportedly Due 2024 With S68 Hybridized V8
The G87 is the final BMW M without electrification according to big kahuna Frank van Meel. In other words, every single all-new BMW M after the XM will receive some kind of electric assistance, including the G90. The next-generation M5 is due to...
The 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Thankfully Features Physical Buttons
Increasingly more automakers remove physical buttons from the dash. Volkswagen is one of them, but rather than employing a fully digital interface, the next-gen Amarok flaunts a few good ol’ buttons. The featured clip shows a selection of ...
The Manual Transmission Isn’t Going Anywhere, Says BMW M Boss
Frank van Meel, the big kahuna of BMW M, recently confessed that future high-performance vehicles would be hybridized or fully electrified. He also confirmed the all-new M2 as the final BMW M without hybrid assistance. The question is, are you s...
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06's Delivery Date Is Subject To Change
The Z06 should have received a sticker price in the week starting June 6th, but as you’re well aware, GM didn’t publish anything. They did, however, publish the delivery date on the landing page of the Z06 NFT. GM did mention that &l...
Lamborghini Reminds Us Of Its First Commercial Success
This year is full of V12 celebrations in Sant’Agata Bolognese as Lamborghini prepares to bid farewell to the long-running Aventador. Its yet-to-be-named replacement will feature a V12, also naturally aspirated, but with PHEV assistance in the...
Unsurprisingly, The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Is Completely Sold Out
Introduced in 2009 for the 2010 model year, the F-150 Raptor was joined by the Ranger Raptor in 2018 for the 2019 model year. These off-road trucks were joined by the all-new Bronco Raptor in January 2022 for the 2022 model year, the very first uti...
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Production Comes to a Screeching Halt Due to Battery Issue
First revealed in the guise of a concept back at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, the ID. Buzz was revealed in production-spec form a few months ago. Series production kicked off at the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles facility in Han...
Skoda Provides 250 Vehicles to Support the Tour de France
Dating back to 1903, the Tour de France is a multiple-stage bicycle race that consists of 21 stages, including six mountain stretches. This year’s edition will start on July 1st and come to a close 3,300 kilometers (2,051 miles) later, on Jul...
2022 Hyundai Elantra N DCT Drag Races Old VW Golf R, Prepare To Be Surprised
Although it’s been replaced by the Mark 8, the Mark 7.5 Golf R is pretty much the same car under the skin. The question is, can the AWD hot hatchback obliterate a front-driven performance sedan in the ¼-mile? First of all, some numb...
2023 Ford F-150 Heritage Edition Rolls Out With Two-Tone Paintwork
The 2023 model year marks 75 years of the F-Series lineup of trucks, which rolled out in calendar year 1947 with the 1948 Ford F-1. The second generation introduced the F-xxx nomenclature, starting with the F-100. The F-150 had to wait until the 19...
2022 Toyota Tundra Rear Axle Shafts May Separate While Driving, Recall Issued
Previously recalled over the rearview camera image not displaying, the all-new Tundra has been called back once again. The problem concerns the rear axle nuts, which can loosen over time, potentially causing the separation of either axle shaft from...