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Sebastian Toma

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Personal motto:

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

Senior Contributor
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Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. He cannot put a finger on what started it all, but it was there, and it grew day by day. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver).

It all started with him pointing at cars on the street and asking what make and model they were. Sebastian couldn't wait to be tall enough to see over their steering wheel and be allowed to drive them.

When was ready to hit the road, Sebastian was left without a potential first car after his family's '72 Mercedes-Benz was rolled by his father. While the early '70s sedan proved unexpectedly safe, Sebastian was left without a ride, so he took various jobs and saved up for an E30 BMW 3 Series. Months later, he got his dream job – writing about cars for a local website while he was getting a bachelor's degree in Journalism.

Fourteen years had passed since Sebastian started writing about cars and motorcycles, and his job took him behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles, as well as through some of the most important local publications.

Just before returning to autoevolution, he was the editor-in-chief of the country's most-read car magazine and its website. Sebastian took on the challenge and started writing for us again, so sit back and enjoy the read!
Skoda VisionS Concept Shows Us the First Big SUV from the Czech Brand
Skoda VisionS Concept Shows Us the First Big SUV from the Czech Brand

2 Mar 2016, 15:11 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Skoda has showcased the VisionS concept study at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The exhibit gives us a preview of the first large SUV in the brand’s history. The VisionS will be turned into a seven-seat SUV when it becomes a product...

 
2016 Lexus LC500h Shows Up in Stunning Blue Exterior in Geneva, Is Fabulous
2016 Lexus LC500h Shows Up in Stunning Blue Exterior in Geneva, Is Fabulous

2 Mar 2016, 13:23 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Lexus has brought the LC500h to its Geneva Motor Show stand in the fabulous shade of blue it was originally revealed in online. A quick look through the photo gallery of this article will show the fact that the color looks even better than expec...

 
Ford Fiesta ST200 Unveiled in Geneva, Looks Just Right
Ford Fiesta ST200 Unveiled in Geneva, Looks Just Right

2 Mar 2016, 12:09 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Ford has pumped up the Fiesta ST’s engine to 200 HP and provided the model with extra go-fast bits. The car has been showcased at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, and we have a photo gallery to prove it. The new Fiesta ST200 is showcas...

 
Koenigsegg Regera Arrives in Geneva in Production Specification, Looks Stunning
Koenigsegg Regera Arrives in Geneva in Production Specification, Looks Stunning

2 Mar 2016, 10:07 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Koenigsegg first revealed the Regera concept car at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. A year later, the Swedes presented the production version of the car. The two might look close to each other from a design point of view, but Koenigsegg says it has ...

 
Diesel Engines Then and Now - How the Emission Reduction Devices Were Developed
Diesel Engines Then and Now - How the Emission Reduction Devices Were Developed

1 Mar 2016, 17:28 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The first Diesel engines were started 130 years ago, but they have moved a long way since then. Like their gasoline counterparts, the compression ignited engines have evolved from the rough units of the late 19th Century to reliable and refined uni...

 
2016 Fiat Tipo Hatchback and Estate Arrive in Geneva
2016 Fiat Tipo Hatchback and Estate Arrive in Geneva

1 Mar 2016, 13:17 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Fiat has launched the other two members of its Tipo family at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. We are talking about the Hatchback and Estate/Wagon versions of the Tipo, a car initially launched in a sedan body style. The Fiat Tipo range is available ...

 
2017 Porsche 911 R Officially Revealed, Only 991 Units Will Be Made
2017 Porsche 911 R Officially Revealed, Only 991 Units Will Be Made

1 Mar 2016, 11:01 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Porsche has finally unveiled the 911 R, the lightest street-going version of its iconic model. Naturally, it is a limited edition that will only be made in 991 units worldwide. As previous reports informed, the new 911 R features a four-liter f...

 
Volkswagen Reveals T-Cross Breeze Concept, It's a Convertible SUV
Volkswagen Reveals T-Cross Breeze Concept, It's a Convertible SUV

1 Mar 2016, 10:13 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Volkswagen has published the first official images of a baby SUV concept, the T-Cross Breeze. As you can see from the photo gallery at the end of this article, the new exhibit from Volkswagen is a convertible SUV. The German carmaker has highlig...

 
Honda Civic Hatchback Prototype Unveiled in Geneva, Looks the Part
Honda Civic Hatchback Prototype Unveiled in Geneva, Looks the Part

1 Mar 2016, 09:17 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Honda will have a big stand at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, but the star of the exhibit will be the new Civic Hatchback prototype. The 2016 Geneva Motor Show marks the global premiere of the prototype of the upcoming Civic hatchback. Hon...

 
Eco Tuning - What Is It and Should You Want It?
Eco Tuning - What Is It and Should You Want It?

29 Feb 2016, 17:50 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Software tuning for cars is typically reserved for performance enhancement. However, there’s another category of improvements we want to talk about today, and it is called Eco Tuning. The idea behind Eco Tuning is the same as the one that ...

 
Porsche 911 R Leakes Ahead of Geneva: 500 HP and Manual Gearbox as Standard
Porsche 911 R Leakes Ahead of Geneva: 500 HP and Manual Gearbox as Standard

29 Feb 2016, 13:19 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Porsche made a manual version of the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS after all, deciding to name it the 911 R. The company will officially unveil the new car this week at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, but images of the new 911 version have leaked online ahead of ...

 
WRC Legend Sebastien Loeb Will Run in the 2016 FIA World RX Championship
WRC Legend Sebastien Loeb Will Run in the 2016 FIA World RX Championship

29 Feb 2016, 12:14 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Sebastien Loeb, nine-time WRC Champion, has been confirmed as the new member of the Peugeot-Hansen Team. He will race the entire 2016 season of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. The Frenchman will be Timmy Hansen’s teammate this year...

 
Peugeot 5008's Successor Spied, Will Be Called 6008
Peugeot 5008's Successor Spied, Will Be Called 6008

29 Feb 2016, 10:39 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Peugeot is developing a successor for its aging 5008 MPV. We already know they intend to call it the 6008, so it is about time we started seeing prototypes in road tests. According to reports, Peugeot has ditched any off-roading ideas for the 50...

 
Ford Fiesta Gets 200 HP Version, It's Still Called ST
Ford Fiesta Gets 200 HP Version, It's Still Called ST

29 Feb 2016, 09:15 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Instead of making a Fiesta RS, Ford has unveiled an uprated version of the ST. The Blue Oval’s hot hatch also comes with special paint and trim elements. Ford’s Fiesta ST will be available in a 200 HP version, called the ST200. Thank...

 
One in Five Executives Get Their Best Ideas in Cars, Study Reveals
One in Five Executives Get Their Best Ideas in Cars, Study Reveals

28 Feb 2016, 16:20 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Do you happen to go out driving to clear your mind and do some thinking? If the answer is affirmative, you are not alone, as a study reveals. According to the Institute of Directors, the optimum environment for inspiring creative ideas outside t...

 
Volkswagen Is Closing In on Final Deadline for Dieselgate Fix, US Judge Says
Volkswagen Is Closing In on Final Deadline for Dieselgate Fix, US Judge Says

28 Feb 2016, 15:25 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The Dieselgate scandal erupted in September 2015, and no vehicle has been fixed since then. That is too long, according to a federal judge. While Volkswagen did propose a fix for its four-cylinder and six-cylinder TDI engines that were affected ...

 
Volvo Starts Production of XC90 Excellence, Updates Range for MY 2017
Volvo Starts Production of XC90 Excellence, Updates Range for MY 2017

27 Feb 2016, 13:00 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Volvo will start making the XC90 Excellence model this year, its most luxurious production car. Along with the four-seat SUV, Volvo will improve its range for the 2017 Model Year. Volvo's new XC90 Excellence comes with four individually adj...

 
Volvo's First Front-Wheel Drive Car Turned 30, Still Looks Good
Volvo's First Front-Wheel Drive Car Turned 30, Still Looks Good

27 Feb 2016, 11:52 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Current Volvo models are sold in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations. However, this was not the case for the Swedish brand's lineup until 1985, when all Volvos were rear-wheel drive. The company will celebrate the 30-...

 
A Guide to IIHS's Safest Cars of 2015 for the US Market
A Guide to IIHS's Safest Cars of 2015 for the US Market

26 Feb 2016, 20:58 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Yesterday, we provided you with a list of cars that were tested last year by the EuroNCAP and were nominated the safest of 2015. Out of over 40 models tested by the EuroNCAP in 2015, only eight vehicles managed to get on this list. We also prom...

 
Indian Man Builds Self-Driving Tata Nano, Feel Free to Be Impressed
Indian Man Builds Self-Driving Tata Nano, Feel Free to Be Impressed

26 Feb 2016, 14:03 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Autonomous cars do not have to be expensive, as an Indian man named Roshy John has recently proved. He developed a self-driving Tata Nano just to show that it can be done. Mr. Roshy is Practice Head at Tata Consultancy Services and was inspired ...

 

Stories by Sebastian Toma