Mircea Panait
19,998 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.
2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 Cabriolet (A205) Spied
2 Feb 2016, 13:18 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Our spy photographers captured a 2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 Cabriolet (A205) testing in sunny Spain. If the name of this German drop-top doesn’t sound too familiar to you, that’s because Mercedes-Benz is planning to rename its 450 AMG Sport ...
2017 Chevrolet Volt Production Starts, Differences Are Minimal over the 2016 MY
2 Feb 2016, 11:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / For the 2016 model year, the Chevrolet Volt introduced a fresh design to an already sleek machine and more green tech to an already eco-conscious means of transport. As such, Chevrolet didn’t do much to improve the Volt’s credentials fo...
Mazda MX-5 Miata All-Wheel-Drive Possible, but It Won’t Likely Happen
2 Feb 2016, 10:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / With every generation of the popular roadster from Japan, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has rewritten the rules of what a back-to-basics sports car should be. But have you ever imagined what it would be like if Mazda added an AWD variation to the lineup? ...
2017 Ford GT Order Books Open in February, but You’re Not Eligible to Buy One
2 Feb 2016, 09:27 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / What if someone were to tell you that you can’t buy a Ford even though you have the money? According to previous reports sourced from Reddit, that’s what’ll happen once order books for the all-new 2017 Ford GT open this month. Tha...
Lamborghini Huracan Drag Races Audi R8 V10 Plus with Surprising Results
2 Feb 2016, 08:14 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Until the second-generation Audi R8 V10 came on the scene, the original was regarded by many as the poor cousin of the Lamborghini Gallardo. On the upside, the Plus variant of the 2017 Audi R8 V10 veered away from its past stigmata. Then again, the...
Tesla Applies for Dealership License to Sell Its EVs in Michigan
1 Feb 2016, 18:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Ladies and gentlemen with a passion for all things Tesla Motors, the unthinkable just happened. The electric vehicle manufacturer recently applied for a Class A license in the state of Michigan, despite the fact that Elon Musk made it clear that he...
Qatar's First Luxury Sports Car Is Called the Elibriea Equvallas
1 Feb 2016, 18:22 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Have you ever heard of a car company called Elibriea Automotive? Neither have we... until now. What you’re admiring here is Qatar’s first sports car manufacturer, a company “tailored for high-end customer needs,” according t...
2016 SEAT Aran SUV Leaked Ahead of Geneva Motor Show Debut
1 Feb 2016, 17:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Hear ye, hear ye! After years of speculation, the Spanish brand in the Volkswagen Group is making the final preparations for the launch of the first-ever SUV to bear SEAT badges. Without further ado, here’s the 2016 SEAT Aran in all its glory...
BMW 1 Series Sedan (F52) Spied During Cold Weather Testing
1 Feb 2016, 16:08 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Our spy photographers managed to snap some pictures of the upcoming BMW 1 Series Sedan. The smallest four-door vehicle in BMW’s stable is a response to the sales success the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Audi A3 Sedan have enjoyed. Following in t...
2016 Bentley Flying Spur Ups the Ante with Mulliner Goodies
1 Feb 2016, 15:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The four-door brother of the Bentley Continental GT just got a whole lot more glamorous thanks to Mulliner. The personal commissioning department of Bentley prides itself on introducing bespoke features in the Flying Spur, starting with a refrigera...
Optimus Prime Peterbilt Truck Bought at Auction by Rick Hendrick
1 Feb 2016, 13:28 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Optimus Prime from the Transformers live-action saga just found a new home in the garage of Rick Hendrick. The owner of Hendrick Motorsports paid no less than $110,000 for the truck you can admire in the gallery below, which is top dollar for an ol...
2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE Track Pack to Debut at 2016 Chicago Auto Show
1 Feb 2016, 12:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After the debut of the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro in May 2015, the brand with the golden bowtie is now preparing to one-up the model range with a driver-focused addition. Reportedly, General Motors will take the wraps off the 2017 Chevrolet ...
Jay Leno Now Owns the “Greatest Mustang Ever Built”
1 Feb 2016, 09:49 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / We all knew that it was just a matter of time until Jay Leno’s Big Dog Garage in Burbank would become the home of a Shelby GT350R. Unsurprisingly, Leno is genuinely excited about his track-focused muscle car. The former Tonight Show host i...
A Shelby Mustang Replica with EcoBoost Power? Yes, Please!
28 Dec 2015, 09:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / While most gearheads would call this combo a sacrilege, the peeps from Classic Recreations will sell you just that. Without further beating around the bush, it is our pleasure to introduce the 1966 GT350CR and 1967 GT500CR Shelby Mustang recreation...
A Guide to the GM LS Engine Family
28 Dec 2015, 08:27 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / An endangered species due to increasingly stringent fuel economy and emission regulations, the Chevy small-block V8 rolled out in 1964 with a displacement of 265 cubic inches in the C1 Corvette. If you prefer the metric system, that would be 4.3 li...
Five Reasons the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Is Better than Santa’s Sleigh
25 Dec 2015, 09:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Ask any child out there what would they choose between Santa’s sleigh and a red Ferrari. Chances are the youngster would go for the reindeer-propelled flying machine. We understand that because the bambino isn’t old enough to understand...
S550 Mustang Police Car from Steeda Is Ready to Protect and Serve
25 Dec 2015, 08:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When your office is a pursuit vehicle, you know that every second counts. When the bad guys are on the run, the action is go. When you hit the lights and it’s all business, that is when performance matters. Staying true to its “speed ma...
Christmas Gift Ideas for Mopar Enthusiasts – Photo Gallery
24 Dec 2015, 11:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Question: What is Christmas all about? If you’ve ever listened to Ray Charles, you might already know that Christmas is the time of the year for being with the ones we love. It’s the time to share joy and cheer. But what if you or one o...
Cadillac CTS-V Sedan with 704 RWHP Shows Up on Craigslist
24 Dec 2015, 11:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When it comes to four-door sedans with muscle car credentials and a go-faster attitude, the Cadillac CTS-V is at the top of the food chain. While many people prefer the BMW M5 for its German precision and other whatnots, the CTS-V has something the...
2016 Nissan Titan XD Diesel Pricing Announced
24 Dec 2015, 10:21 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / We have got good news for those of you interested in buying the 2016 Nissan Titan XD. On sale at Nissan dealers across the United States, the all-new Titan XD with the Cummins diesel in its most basic configuration starts at $40,920. This price ...