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Mircea Panait

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Personal motto:

"If in doubt, flat out." - Colin McRae

Senior Contributor
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Little did he knew back then, but a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO is what sparked Mircea’s interest for cars when he was just a kid. Despite studying mathematics and informatics in high school and economics in university, Mircea turned his passion for all things automotive into a job.
 
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.
2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang Quarter-Mile Record: 11.96 Seconds at 116.07 MPH
2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang Quarter-Mile Record: 11.96 Seconds at 116.07 MPH

16 Nov 2015, 18:43 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / How fast is fast? For the 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang and its flat-crank Voodoo V8 engine, it's real fast. More specifically, 11.96 seconds is all the track-focused pony needs to get to 116.07 miles per hour (186.79 km/h). The red-painted 201...

 
Ferrari 308 GTB Vetroresina Is Prepped for Rally Duty
Ferrari 308 GTB Vetroresina Is Prepped for Rally Duty

16 Nov 2015, 18:14 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti single-handedly changed the design language of the Prancing Horse with the 308 GTB. Gone were the voluptuous curves of the 1960s and in came the wedge-shaped mania of the 1970s. But this particular 308 is wa...

 
Can't Wait for the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor? Here's the 2016 Shelby F-150
Can't Wait for the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor? Here's the 2016 Shelby F-150

16 Nov 2015, 17:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Everybody is waiting for the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor dune warrior to arrive at dealerships, but that won't happen until fall 2016. What can you have instead of waiting for the off-road truck to start production? Look no further than the 2016 Sh...

 
Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR by Romeo Ferraris Will Race in the 2016 TCR International Series
Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR by Romeo Ferraris Will Race in the 2016 TCR International Series

15 Nov 2015, 15:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Italian tuning outfit Romeo Ferraris Srl unveiled the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR. Essentially the touring car version of Alfa Romeo's only compact hatchback, the Giulietta TCR will race next year in the TCR Series. The plan was to be on ...

 
Audi TT Sportback to Debut on November 20 at the Guangzhou Auto Show
Audi TT Sportback to Debut on November 20 at the Guangzhou Auto Show

15 Nov 2015, 14:27 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Two years after the Audi TT Sportback Concept made its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the Ingolstadt-based automaker is slated to present the production version of the TT Sportback. When will that happen? On November 20. Where will it happen? ...

 
Bremont Jaguar MKI & MKII Watches Are Inspired by the E-Type <span>· Video, Photo Gallery</span>
Bremont Jaguar MKI & MKII Watches Are Inspired by the E-Type · Video, Photo Gallery

15 Nov 2015, 13:46 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / What more could you want as a petrolhead from your timepiece other than it to be inspired by the car Enzo Ferrari described as being "the most beautiful" in the world? The Bremont Jaguar MKI and MKII are the watches in question and, as ex...

 
2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia Engine Options Start with a 150 PS 2.2 JTDM Turbo Diesel
2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia Engine Options Start with a 150 PS 2.2 JTDM Turbo Diesel

15 Nov 2015, 12:51 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / According to a screenshot published by our friends over at Alfa Romeo Project 952, the entry-level 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia will be powered by a 150 PS 2.2 JTDM diesel motor. But then again, we find it curious that there's no sign of two high-po...

 
2016 Chevrolet Camaro Burnout Is an Ode to Hoonage
2016 Chevrolet Camaro Burnout Is an Ode to Hoonage

15 Nov 2015, 12:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / With the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, General Motors flexed its muscles to develop one of - if not -  the best pony car of the moment. For added visual drama, the Camaro Six also likes to smoke its rear wheels, leaving a towering cloud of thick smok...

 
2017 Jaguar F-Type Is Cheaper than the 2016 Model Year
2017 Jaguar F-Type Is Cheaper than the 2016 Model Year

15 Nov 2015, 11:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / For the 2017 Jaguar F-Type, the British manufacturer decided to make its sports car a little more affordable to the masses. Care to guess how much you have to pay for the privilege of owning the bewitching F-Type? Slated to arrive in US showroom...

 
W Motors Fenyr SuperSport Is the Middle East's Idea of a Hypercar
W Motors Fenyr SuperSport Is the Middle East's Idea of a Hypercar

14 Nov 2015, 14:59 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Ever heard of W Motors? That's the name of a company founded in Lebanon and headquartered in Dubai, responsible for the Lykan HyperSport. Yeah, that weird-looking hypercar from the tower jump in Furious 7. Today we'll focus on the Fenyr S...

 
2016 MG3 Comes with Better Fuel Economy and a Few Other Goodies
2016 MG3 Comes with Better Fuel Economy and a Few Other Goodies

14 Nov 2015, 13:54 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Remember MG? Yeah, it's that British brand loved by pipe tobacco-smoking gentlemen in tweed jackets. But the modern-day MG is not loved by those gentlemen, partly because MG isn't offering a modern roadster model. Every British auto en...

 
Attack of the Car Wash: Louisiana Man Caught by Rotating Scrubber
Attack of the Car Wash: Louisiana Man Caught by Rotating Scrubber

14 Nov 2015, 13:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The tunnel-type car wash is not a favorite over at autoevolution because the spinning brushes will damage the paint of the car in time. But for those of you who don't care about this detail, be aware that drive-through car washes can also take...

 
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition US0001 Goes Up for Auction
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition US0001 Goes Up for Auction

14 Nov 2015, 11:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Mitsubishi is sending off the Lancer EVO X in style by offering the limited-production Final Edition model. For the very first Final Edition, bearer of number plaque US0001, the Japanese manufacturer decided to put it up for auction on eBay.com for...

 
Trying to Pick Up a Girl in a Ferrari: the Parking Valet Gold Digger Prank
Trying to Pick Up a Girl in a Ferrari: the Parking Valet Gold Digger Prank

14 Nov 2015, 10:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When you're on a night out and you try to catch the eye of an attractive lady across the room, the most important advice is to make intense eye contact. But when you are trying to pick up girls in your car, you need something better than your ...

 
2016 Camaro SS Quarter-Mile Time: 12.21s is Doable for the 2SS with the 8-Speed Automatic
2016 Camaro SS Quarter-Mile Time: 12.21s is Doable for the 2SS with the 8-Speed Automatic

14 Nov 2015, 09:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Camaro fans all around, we have great news for you! At the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park's drag strip, the 2016 Camaro SS posted an incredible 1/4-mile time for a stock model - 12.21 seconds. That's faster than the best 1/4-mile time m...

 
The 2016 Nissan Titan Diesel Can Tow a Massive 12,314 Pounds
The 2016 Nissan Titan Diesel Can Tow a Massive 12,314 Pounds

13 Nov 2015, 19:56 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In the realm of light-duty full-size pickup trucks, the Ford F-150 is king. But a towing capacity of 12,200 pounds is not enough to cut the mustard these days because the 2016 Nissan Titan diesel just stole the Ford F-150's crown. Back in J...

 
Tightest Reverse Parallel Park Record Is Sure to Attract Your Attention
Tightest Reverse Parallel Park Record Is Sure to Attract Your Attention

13 Nov 2015, 19:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Let's be frank here - parking is the least enjoyable element of driving. That's why people want parking sensors and parking cameras. But a British man going by the name of Alastair Moffatt loves parking. The guy loves it so much that he s...

 
Traffic Incident in Romania Gives a Whole New Meaning to "Hitching a Ride"
Traffic Incident in Romania Gives a Whole New Meaning to "Hitching a Ride"

13 Nov 2015, 18:21 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / What can a man do when he ain't got a car, and he can't be bothered with public transport? Thumb a ride, of course. But in Romania, a man hitched a ride without intention, nor his consent, because of a paranoid lady in a black Fiat. Th...

 
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid Can Deliver 27 Electric Miles
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid Can Deliver 27 Electric Miles

13 Nov 2015, 17:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / You don't need to wipe your eyes about that statement. The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid delivers a class-leading all-electric range of 27 miles (43.4 km), which is great for a mid-size hybrid. If the all-electric range isn't enou...

 
Alfa Romeo Tipo 961 Executive Sedan, Tipo 962 C-SUV, Tipo 963 Spider & Coupe Are in Development
Alfa Romeo Tipo 961 Executive Sedan, Tipo 962 C-SUV, Tipo 963 Spider & Coupe Are in Development

13 Nov 2015, 16:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Back in June, Alfa Romeo surprised us with the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful Giulia (Tipo 952). In QV specification, the Italian mid-sized sedan can also run rings around the German establishment. But the long-awaited rebirth of Alfa Romeo w...

 

Stories by Mircea Panait