autoevolution
 

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.
Cranky Camaro KITT and Knight Rider Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Make You ROFL
Cranky Camaro KITT and Knight Rider Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Make You ROFL

8 Oct 2014, 06:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Although the legendary media franchise celebrated its 32nd anniversary at the end of September, the Funny or Die production team put together one of the most funny spin-offs we've ever seen in recent years. This time around you'll see ...

 
NHTSA Investigates Ford Over Defective Power Steering Complaints
NHTSA Investigates Ford Over Defective Power Steering Complaints

8 Oct 2014, 05:32 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a lot on its hands these days. The GM year-to-date recall tally surpassed the record 30 million mark, Chrysler has also been the subject of numerous safety campaigns involving defective airbags...

 
Chevrolet Wants You to #NameThatCamaro Spring Special Edition for SEMA <span>· Video</span>
Chevrolet Wants You to #NameThatCamaro Spring Special Edition for SEMA · Video

8 Oct 2014, 04:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Although General Motors engineers are hard at work testing the all-new Camaro at the Nurburgring, the current-gen isn't dead yet. As such, Chevrolet wants its fans to pick a name for a 2015 Camaro dubbed Spring Special Edition, which will debu...

 
2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Gets Dyno Tested, GT Runs 12.86-Second Quarter Mile
2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Gets Dyno Tested, GT Runs 12.86-Second Quarter Mile

8 Oct 2014, 03:28 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The sixth-generation Ford Mustang is a bit of a bet for the Blue Oval. Not only does it differentiate itself greatly from former models, but a four-cylinder mill has been slotted between the 3.7-liter V6 and 5L V8. Nevertheless, customer demand ...

 
2015 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Boasts With 430 German Ponies <span>· Video</span>
2015 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Boasts With 430 German Ponies · Video

8 Oct 2014, 02:47 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When you hear GTS in the same sentence with Porsche, die-hard enthusiasts think of the 904 GTS mid-engined race-bred model from the 1960s. But nowadays, the GTS moniker is used by the Stuttgart-based manufacturer to market its line of high performa...

 
Chrysler Puts an End to the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper GTS-R Racing Program
Chrysler Puts an End to the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper GTS-R Racing Program

7 Oct 2014, 17:52 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When Dodge offered us a sneak peak in July at the Viper GTS-R track-focused bruiser, we were happy the 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship was offered with one of the nicest-looking cars currently in production. The vintage livery added t...

 
GM to Cut Costs by Using Only 4 Platforms By 2025
GM to Cut Costs by Using Only 4 Platforms By 2025

7 Oct 2014, 16:45 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / General Motors CEO Mary Barra revealed during an investor briefing that the company she helms is aiming to use just 4 platforms instead of the 26 the American automaker uses at the present moment. However, vehicles such as the Corvette sports ca...

 
Mazda Adaptive LED Headlights Technology to Come to Future Mazda Passenger Vehicles
Mazda Adaptive LED Headlights Technology to Come to Future Mazda Passenger Vehicles

7 Oct 2014, 15:52 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Most petrolheads know what adaptive headlights do: the beams turn around the bend as you turn the steering wheel, improving better view of what is ahead especially during nighttime driving. To boot, this type of headlights also includes a self-l...

 
Jules Bianchi Suffered a Diffuse Axonal Injury, Is In a Critical But Stable Condition
Jules Bianchi Suffered a Diffuse Axonal Injury, Is In a Critical But Stable Condition

7 Oct 2014, 14:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / While last weekend's Suzuka Grand Prix was just another walk in the park for Mercedes-AMG's own Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the Japanese GP's results pale in comparison with the horrific accident suffered by Marussia F1 Tea...

 
World's Smallest Disconnecting AWD System Was Engineered by British Company GKN Driveline
World's Smallest Disconnecting AWD System Was Engineered by British Company GKN Driveline

7 Oct 2014, 13:46 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / GKN Driveline is considered to be the world's leading supplier of automotive driveline components. Specialized in AWD, eDrive and constant-velocity joint systems as well as trans axle solutions, GKN Driveline is also the company that developed...

 
Bentley SUV Spied Wearing Less Camouflage
Bentley SUV Spied Wearing Less Camouflage

7 Oct 2014, 12:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Remember when the Range Rover was virtually in a class of its own? Well, that title will not survive by the end of the decade because a plethora of ultra luxurious sports utility vehicles is expected to appear. Maserati and Bentley are currently...

 
Volvo Trucks Develops All-Around Visibility Tech That Predicts Traffic Scenarios Beforehand
Volvo Trucks Develops All-Around Visibility Tech That Predicts Traffic Scenarios Beforehand

7 Oct 2014, 11:44 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / So you thought that the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 is the most technologically advanced heavy-duty truck in existence? Well you should think again… That sci-fi German contraption is but a concept truck, but Volvo's latest projec...

 
UPDATE: New Jeep Grand Wagoneer Confirmed by Jeep CEO
UPDATE: New Jeep Grand Wagoneer Confirmed by Jeep CEO

7 Oct 2014, 09:43 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Chrysler's most profitable and acclaimed brand is going to launch a new generation of the seminal Wrangler in the near future, but that bit of news is nowhere near as exciting as what the Jeep brand is preparing to launch almost four years fro...

 
Non-Compliant Head Restraints Made Chrysler Recall the 2014 Ram ProMaster Full-Size Van
Non-Compliant Head Restraints Made Chrysler Recall the 2014 Ram ProMaster Full-Size Van

7 Oct 2014, 08:47 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Also known as the Fiat Ducato / Peugeot Boxer / Citroen Jumper in Europe, the Ram ProMaster is Chrysler's answer to the segment standard Ford Transit. The Blue Oval's full-size van was called back a couple of times this year over petty fa...

 
Tesla Model S Updated With Speed Limit Warning & Lane Drift Detection
Tesla Model S Updated With Speed Limit Warning & Lane Drift Detection

7 Oct 2014, 08:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Tesla Motors has finally come clean about a few updates in store for the newest batch of Model S all-electric luxury sedans. Most enthusiasts might have heard about the addition of a forward-facing video camera, but now it's official what'...

 
Cadillac CT6: Lighter Than the CTS, Twin-Turbo V6 and 8-Speed Auto Powertrain, PHEV Considered
Cadillac CT6: Lighter Than the CTS, Twin-Turbo V6 and 8-Speed Auto Powertrain, PHEV Considered

6 Oct 2014, 16:49 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In recent Cadillac news, the luxury division of GM announced the upcoming flagship sedan dubbed CT6 will be built in Detroit late next year and will use Super Cruise automated driving technology. Moreover, the entire Cadillac lineup will be soon...

 
Mercedes-AMG GT, C63 Pricing Announced: AMG GT Starts at €115,430, C63 from €76,100
Mercedes-AMG GT, C63 Pricing Announced: AMG GT Starts at €115,430, C63 from €76,100

6 Oct 2014, 15:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Are you sitting down? Good, 'cos the Mercedes-AMG GT is not as cheap as previous reports said it will be. Mercedes-Benz informs that the most basic of AMG GTs available will set you back €115,430 in Germany, which is €3,000 more than...

 
Infiniti Q70 Aces Small Overlap Front Crash Test, Earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award
Infiniti Q70 Aces Small Overlap Front Crash Test, Earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award

6 Oct 2014, 14:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Thanks to a "good" overall evaluation and the Top Safety Pick+ award, the 2014 - 2015 Infiniti Q70 is the safest car the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested recently. In comparison, the Infiniti Q70 trumped the 2014 model year L...

 
2014 Japanese Grand Prix Highlights: Vettel Going to Ferrari, Bianchi Suffers Horrific Accident
2014 Japanese Grand Prix Highlights: Vettel Going to Ferrari, Bianchi Suffers Horrific Accident

6 Oct 2014, 13:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Suzuka circuit offered Formula 1 fans a lot of action and drama the past weekend. Despite the Mercedes-AMG one-two and Fernando Alonso's Ferrari coming to a halt due to an electrical fault, this was the blackest weekend in recent F1 histor...

 
2015 Roush Mustang Priced from $4,495, RS2 Tops at $8,495
2015 Roush Mustang Priced from $4,495, RS2 Tops at $8,495

6 Oct 2014, 12:42 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / It's no longer a secret what the sixth-gen Mustang holds in store for expecting customers. We know how much it weighs, what powerplants it boasts with, the fake engine noise sent through the 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost Mustang's audi...

 

Stories by Mircea Panait