Mircea Panait
20,019 ARTICLES
Personal motto:
"If in doubt, flat out." - Colin McRae
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.
2018 Bentley Continental GT Spied Testing in the UK
25 Feb 2016, 10:49 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A prototype of the 2018 Bentley Continental GT has been caught on camera for the second time this week. On this occasion, the luxurious grand tourer is seen testing on the wet handling and cornering circuit of the MIRA proving ground in Warwickshir...
Forget the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Here’s the Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1
25 Feb 2016, 09:43 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After disappointing its fan base with the Giulietta facelift, Alfa Romeo can do only one thing to regain the trust of loyal Alfisti and its customers. That’s to make the Alfa Romeo Stelvio the sportiest SUV in the mid-size segment. Speaking o...
Range Rover Evoque Milestone - 500,000 Units Produced Since 2011
25 Feb 2016, 08:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / There’s nothing quite like the Range Rover Evoque in the compact SUV segment. It intertwines luxury and allure with rugged and off-road in a package no other automaker can replicate. It’s no wonder 500,000 units were made since the firs...
2016 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Facelift Unveiled, It’s Similar to the Austin Allegro
24 Feb 2016, 22:26 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen are arguably the laziest automakers when it comes to facelifts. But Alfa Romeo surpassed the German trio with the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulietta facelift. I know this may sound to you like I’m a madman, but the 1974 A...
Cheapest RWD Cars to Buy in 2016
24 Feb 2016, 17:27 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / RWD is the layout the car was born with. Since the Benz Patent-Motorwagen of 1886, the assortment of rear-wheel-drive vehicles has taken a dive. FWD cars are easier and cheaper to build. Austrian outfit Graf & Stift patented the front-wheel-dri...
2020 Ford Bronco Renderings Show the Shape of Things to Come
24 Feb 2016, 12:37 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / From 1966 to 1996, the Ford Bronco spawned five generations. All of them were popular in the United States and beyond, which is curious considering that many people were sad to see the Bronco go to make way for the Expedition. Come on, FoMoCo! You ...
2016 Callaway Camaro SC610 Crashed Days After Unveiling by 1932 Ford
24 Feb 2016, 10:29 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The 2016 Callaway Camaro SC610 is the ultimate expression of the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro until the debut of the ZL1. The tuning company applied the SC610 package to a white-painted Camaro SS, unveiling the thing last week. Days later, tha...
2017 Volvo V40 Facelift Gains New Headlights, Not Much Else
24 Feb 2016, 09:27 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Dear Volvo, you’re great. I like the second-generation XC90, I like the S90, and I love the family-oriented V90. But the V40 facelift lets me down. Other than the Thor’s Hammer LED headlights, the 2017 Volvo V40 facelift doesn’t h...
2017 Audi R8 Spyder Spied Undisguised in Namibia
24 Feb 2016, 08:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Audi engineers are putting the finishing touches on the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder because the Audi product roadmap suggests that the drop-top supercar is going to debut in April. Happily, however, we can now show you what the second-generation Audi R8 Sp...
Most Expensive Small Cars You Can Buy in 2016
23 Feb 2016, 17:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Responding to an ever-changing market prompted carmakers to change the characteristics of vehicle segments more often than Michael Jackson changed his nose. One of those characteristics is pricing. As I’m sure you know, today’s small ca...
Stefano Domenicali Appointed Lamborghini CEO, Stephan Winkelmann to Lead quattro
23 Feb 2016, 12:22 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If they were to live, Ferruccio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari would throw tantrums at the men who lead the automakers founded by them. I don’t know how to soften the blow on this story, so here’s Johnny: Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman...
2018 Bentley Continental GT Spied, Features EXP 10 Speed 6 Design Cues
23 Feb 2016, 10:21 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When it was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept received praise from virtually all automotive publications. It might be 2020 before the production version of the thing goes on sale, but its design will come to...
Tesla Wireless Charging System to Become Available in April
23 Feb 2016, 09:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / As I’m sure Tesla Motors fans already know, the Palo Alto-based company is working on a charging system that resembles a metal snake with a plug instead of a head. Before Tesla finishes the research & development for the creepy slitherer,...
George R.R. Martin Checks Out a Tesla Model X at Tesla Meet in New Mexico
23 Feb 2016, 08:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The electric vehicles manufactured by Tesla Motors are the stuff of dreams for most people and the perfect excuse for owners to meet up from time to time. The Tesla Club of New Mexico owners meet up on a monthly basis, and guess what? Game of Thron...
Modern Classic Cars Worth Buying in 2016
22 Feb 2016, 18:28 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Driving is one of the hardly any activities that grant the human race with a supreme sense of freedom. Contemporary passenger cars are safe, fast, reliable, and everything else except for one thing - they’re full of technologies that separate...
Arash AF10 Hybrid Storms Geneva with 2,080 Horsepower
22 Feb 2016, 12:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Founded in 1999 as Farboud Limited and renamed to Arash Motor Company Ltd. in 2006, the British company has prepared a thought-provoking hypercar for the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. It's known as the Arash AF10 and it’s motivated by 2,080 ho...
1974 Datsun 260Z Super Samuri Heading to Auction
22 Feb 2016, 10:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Few nameplates can strike the sensitive chord of hardcore car enthusiasts. One of them is the Nissan Z-car series of sports cars, which started with the Datsun 240Z. These things are as collectible as dinosaur teeth, especially if we’re talki...
Tamara Ecclestone’s Husband Charged with Assisting Trafficker James Tarrant
22 Feb 2016, 10:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Tamara Ecclestone, the heiress of arguably the most despised man in Formula 1, always had a soft spot for bad boys. The 31-year-old daughter of Bernie Ecclestone is feeling a bit under the weather now that her husband has been charged with assistin...
2016 Toyota C-HR Teased Prior to Geneva Motor Show Debut
22 Feb 2016, 09:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The RAV4, Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser are perfect examples of Toyota’s knowledge of making dependable SUVs and crossovers. Due to the success of the Nissan Juke, the time has come for Toyota to come up with a contender in t...
Lamborghini Miura P400S for Sale for 3 Million Euros
21 Feb 2016, 09:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Lamborghini started life as a tractor manufacturer, but an argument with Enzo Ferrari made Ferruccio Lamborghini shift his focus to cars. The Lamborghini 350 GT wasn’t the model that put an end to that argument. Instead, the Miura established...